Yanga forward Emmanuel Okwi during a recent training session. The Ugandan, who has not showed up for training this week, will not face his former employers tomorrow. photo | file
What you need to know:
Simba and Yanga have camped in Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam respectively for the derby that will mark the end of this season’s Vodacom Premier League
Dar es Salaam. Young Africans fear they could be without five key players in tomorrow’s match against their traditional foes Simba at the National Stadium.
The players include midfielders Athuman Idd, Haruna Niyonzima and striker Said Bahanuzi, according to the club’s information officer, Baraka Kizuguto.
Simba and Yanga, whose rivalry is as old as the country’s football history, have camped in Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam respectively for the derby that will mark the end of this season’s Vodacom Premier League.
Idd picked a head injury during their recent league match against Rhino Rangers in Tabora, but earlier in the week he expressed optimism of being fit to face Simba.
However, Kizuguto, whose team is entitled to a ticket for the CAF Confederation Cup after finishing second, is worried the player could spend one or two more weeks on the sidelines.
In an interview with The Citizen yesterday, Kizuguto said the Jangwani Street outfit would also miss the services of Juma Abdul and Emmanuel Okwi.
“Idd is a major doubt for our team after a head injury he sustained during one of our recent matches. We will see tomorrow how he improves,” he said. According to Kizuguto, Niyonzima is not fit enough to feature for the former Mainland champions in tomorrow’s match, while Abdul is serving one match ban.
Bahanuzi is also unlikely to be in action because he is still nursing a knee injury he suffered during their match against JKT Oljoro last weekend.
On Okwi, once a key player for the Msimbazi Reds, Kizuguto said the Ugandan striker has gone AWOL.
He said the striker went missing early this week and that they have failed to trace him.
“He is reported to be in Kampala, Uganda but we have failed to trace him because his handset has been switched off.
Okwi scored a consolation goal for Yanga during the Nani Mtani Jembe clash against Simba at the National Stadium a few months ago.
However, Kizuguto said he was optimistic the absence of the five players could not affect his team.
“We still have other players at camp who are equally good. I am optimistic we will give our fans something to smile about on Saturday- a win over our rivals,” he said.
Simba, on the other hand, will be without defender Haruna Shamte, according to the club’s secretary general, Ezekiel Kamwaga.
