Mlandege FC caution Simba ahead of Mapinduzi Cup final
What you need to know:
- Mlandege FC, who are the defending champions, will meet Simba tomorrow on January 13, 2024 at the New Amaan Complex in Zanzibar, where the final match has been scheduled to kick off at 8.15pm.
Dar es Salaam. Mlandege Football Club coach Ramadhan Khamis has said nothing will stop them from retaining the Mapinduzi Cup title against Simba SC.
Mlandege FC, who are the defending champions, will meet Simba tomorrow on January 13, 2024 at the New Amaan Complex in Zanzibar, where the final match has been scheduled to kick off at 8.15pm.
Khamis said they had ample time to get prepared for the final clash against Simba, despite facing a tough challenge.
He explained that he is proud of his committed players, who, he believes, will play hard to retain the title for the second time in a row.
In last year’s Mapinduzi Cup final, Mlandege won 2-1 over Singida Fountain Gate FC and the former were given Sh35 million as a cash prize for winning the title.
Apart from winning the cash prize, trophy and gold medals, the team’s owners, Abdulsatar Daudi and Kamal Manji, also rewarded their players and the team officials with motorcycles each.
The record shows that the tournament is mainly dominated by the Mainland Tanzania teams including Azam FC who won the title five times, Simba SC (three times) while Yanga and Mtibwa Sugar FC two times each.
Zanzibar’s teams namely Jamhuri of Pemba, Polisi, KMKM, Mafunzo, Malindi and Miembeni won the title once each. Also, Uganda’s Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA) and Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) won the title once each.
Khamis said the commitment of his players, the technical bench and the strong leadership of the team were the secret behind the team’s success in the tournament.
He said his men have so far done a good job and they deserve compliments, but he added they have to prove their worth in the final match.
“Nothing is impossible under the Sun. I told my players to play with determination in order to achieve our goal. Their spirit has been very high to reach the climax of the tournament,” said Khamis. The winners of the 2024 Mapinduzi Cup will pocket Sh100 million while the runners-up will receive Sh70 million.
Besides Mlandege FC and Simba as the finalists, other teams that competed in the tournament were Young Africans (Yanga), Azam FC, Singida Fountain Gate FC, APR of Rwanda, Vital’O of Burundi, Jamus of South Sudan, KVZ, Jamhuri and Chipukizi, all of Zanzibar.
