Simba players celebrate a goal during a past match. The Msimbazi Reds will set their sights on the SportPesa Super Cup finals when they face Kenya’s Kakamega Homeboyz at the Afraha Stadium in Nakuru today. PHOTO | FILE
Dar es Salaam/Nairobi. There may never have been a greater mismatch in a Cup semi-final than today’s SportPesa Super Cup showpiece.
The clash will see mighty Simba take on minnows Kakamega Homeboyz of Kenya at the Afraha Stadium in Nakuru.
The match, which will be preceded by the first semi-final game between Singida United and Gor Mahia, pits two teams with completely different sets of history.
Simba, one of the most successful clubs in Tanzania and East Africa as a whole, boast 19 Mainland Premier League titles. Homeboyz, on the other hand, are facing an opponent from outside Kenyan borders for the first time since the club’s inception.
This suggests that the Msimbazi Reds, as Simba are fondly referred to, will start as favourites today.
But they should not expect a win a silver platter as Homeboyz play their hearts out when up against top teams.
In their first match, the little known Homeboyz made good use of their underdog tag to frustrate Mainland giants Young Africans at the same venue.
A brace from Allan Wanga and a late goal from substitute Wycliffe Opondo gave the Kenya team a historic win and sent Yanga packing.
Despite stepping on the Afraha pitch as the clear underdogs, Homeboyz took the game to Yanga with Wanga and Moses Mudavadi proving a menace on the Jangwani Street team’s defense every time they had a touch on the ball.
Simba, on the other hand, cruised into the semi-finals at the expense of Kariobangi Sharks.
They beat the Sharks 3-2 on post-match penalties after the regular 90 minutes failed to produce the winner. Simba assistant coach Masoud Djuma admitted yesterday that his team was not impressive in the quarter-final match against the Sharks.
“We have addressed the weaknesses we noted during the quarter-final game. Our fans should expect positive results tomorrow (today),” Djuma said.
In the first semi-final game, the odds will be against Singida United.
Singida advanced to this stage after edging out Kenya’s AFC Leopards 4-2 on post-match penalties at the Afraha Stadium, Nakuru on Tuesday.
The teams were deadlocked at 0-0 after 90 minutes and with no extra time, penalties were taken to decide the winner of the last eight encounter.
It remains to be seen if Singida, now coached by Hemed Morocco, will manage to sail through at the expense of defending champions Gor Mahia.
The winner of the second edition of the competition will pocket $30,000 (Sh68 million).
The runners-up will take home $10,000 (Sh22.6 million) and $5,000 (Sh11.3 million) will go to the third-placed team, while the fourth-placed side will be awarded $2,500 (Sh5.6 million).
