Pride, points at stake in Dar derby

Dar es Salaam. It goes without question that the Young Africans-Simba SC battle is an exciting confrontation. It brings business across the country to a standstill.

The encounter between the two outfits has never been light. It is always a thriller that keeps the fans of both camps guessing the would-be winner.

The fans look more scientific and analytical nowadays compared with those days when people bet their assets and for some weird reasons, were ready to lose their wives on betting grounds.

This being one side of the coin let us try to look on the other side which is the technical aspect of the game itself.

Looking into the composition of the teams, they all look in shape with a good collection of quality players although Yanga seem to have a more experienced side with a lot of players who have worked together for quite a long time.

These players are Mbuyi Twite, Kelvin Yondani, Juma Abdul, Haruna Niyonzima, Oscar Joshua, Simon Msuva, Nadir Haroub, Salum Telela, Deo Munisi and Ally Mustapha.

Most of these stars are in the starting IX. They will be assisted by Thaban Kamusoko who has proved to be the maestro in the midfield playing alongside kingpin Haruna Niyonzima.

Their task is to feed their terrific attackers Amissi Tambwe and Donald Ngoma who play in front of Simon Msuva and Malimi Busungu. A lot is expected from these players on Saturday.

Simba team had a bad start in the league, which prompted often changes of the technical bench. The changes had left players struggling to cope with new approach every time.

Should they lose, it will be unfair to apportion blame on the players. Club leaders should shoulder the blame.

However, defat may not be on their lips, especially after a recent winning streak under head coach Jackson Mayanja.

The Ugandan seems to have succeeded in changing players’ mentality. Simba now play some superb football and have neither drawn nor lost in their last seven matches. They sit atop the Vodacom Premier League and look genuine contenders for the coveted title that has eluded them since the 2011/12 season.

Their last weekend’s 2-1 victory over stubborn Stand United is certainly a morale booster ahead of the derby when three points may prove pivotal in both clubs’ seasons. Points and pride are at stake this weekend.

Simba are likely to benefit from the absence of Kevin Yondani who is serving a three-match suspension for committing an ugly incident against a Coastal Union medic.

The Msimbazi Reds boast a good selection of youthful and dynamic squad comprising a tightly weaved defence, which is manned by Ugandan Juuko Murshid ,Hassan Isihaka, Hassan Kessy, Mohamed Hussein and Abdi Banda.

And between the posts, they have Peter Manyika Junior and Ivorian Vincent Angban who has proven to be good as well.

In midfield, the strings are pulled by Justice Majabvi, Jonas Mkude and Mwinyi Kazimoto. Kazimoto is ageing, but he still goes with the pace of his youthful teammates.

The best part of the team is the forward line that boasts a formidable combination of Ibrahim Ajib and Hamisi Kiiza who is leading the VPL scoring chart with 16 goals in his account this season.

Danny Lyanga is another in-form striker this season. All he needs is ball supply from overlapping full back Mohamed Hussein for him to punish Yanga.

Mayanja has proved to be an excellent strategist and psychologist who succeeded to revive the once desperate side to what now looks like title contenders with an incredible winning spirit.

The game plan and formation preferred by both teams is 4:4:2 and when they go defensive they break into 3:5:2 but all in all, formations work perfectly when players maintain tactical discipline.

It is the players that make the formation and the comparison between the two teams will base on the coaches and the players ability to read the game and react quickly.

Tips

The two coaches have to take the following into account –objectives: scoring goals and not allowing the opposition to score, that simply means play to win.

Never wait for the opponent to make mistakes, they should force the opponent to make mistakes and capitalize to their mistakes and then holding out only a few more minutes until victory is theirs.

Aim to score as soon as possible and maintain possession of the ball as much as possible. It has been proved that the only thing that counts in the Simba-Yanga duels is the result and not football.

However, this is a primitive perception that needs to be ignored. We have been watching first class football matches in European leagues featuring football derbies such as El Classico in Spain and from rival teams’ encounters all over the world. The fans enjoy attractive football with players exhibiting their class. It is the expectation of the fans that the Saturday derby will live up to the hype.

It is one of a few matches that represent the Tanzanian football, thus players have the obligation to give their all and prove the essence of signing professionals.

The most recent records reveal that the 2013/14 first round match had the two teams playing out a 3-3 draw before fighting to a one-all draw in the second round.

The 2014/15 season first round saw the two sides draw 0-0, but the story changed in the second round when Simba won 1-0 with Emmanuel Okwi scoring the solitary goal.

Yanga enjoyed a 2-0 in the first leg of the 2015/16 season in the match played last September.

It is the TFF’s duty to ensure that match officials perform their tasks in a responsible way and let the better team win.