Uphill task awaits Gamondi and Fadlu ahead of August 8 tie

Dar es Salaam. A daunting task awaits Young Africans (Yanga) head coach Miguel Gamondi and Simba head coach Fadlu Davids ahead of the August 8 Community Shield semifinal encounter at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

The match is scheduled to kick off at 7 pm, and prior to that, Azam FC will meet Coastal Union at the New Amaan Complex in Zanzibar at 4pm on the same day.

The Community Shield matches mark the official opening of the Tanzania Mainland NBC Premier League.

For Gamondi, this will be his third match against Simba, while for Davids, it will be his first task since joining the team a few days ago.

According to records, Gamondi has managed to win two matches out of the three he played against Simba and lost one.

The Argentinian tactician started poorly by losing 3-1 on penalties during the final match of the Community Shield on August 13, 2023, at the Mkwakwani Stadium in Tanga.

However, he managed to avenge that loss by leading the Jangwani Street giants to a 5-1 victory over Simba at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on November 5, 2023, and later won 2-1 on April 20, 2024.

According to a statement issued by the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF), the third playoff and final will be held at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on August 11.

The third playoff match will involve the loser between Azam FC and Coastal Union against the loser between Yanga and Simba.

 The final match will feature the winner between Coastal Union and Azam FC against the winner between Yanga and Simba.

The Community Shield is being held for the second time, having been inaugurated last season at the Mkwakwani Stadium.

It is also the second time for the Mainland competition matches to be held at the New Amaan Sports Complex after the CRDB Federation Cup final, which Yanga beat Azam FC to win the title on penalties.

Gamondi said although he considers the Community Shield a ceremonial title, his focus is on winning it.

“The Community Shield is not important to me because even if you win, you do not get a ticket to represent the country in international competitions like the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup. My focus is on winning the Tanzania Mainland Premier League title, the CRDB Federation Cup, and the CAF Champions League title. However, I take the match against Simba seriously, and my focus is on winning it,” said Gamondi.

He emphasized that he is not overconfident due to last season's success in winning two trophies and defeating Simba.

“I have forgotten all we did last season; my focus is now on doing my best this season and making all fans and members happy. I have a good team with talented and committed players. I do not think I will add any more players; the 27 players I have are enough,” he said.

Records show that Yanga and Simba have met 112 times since 1956, with Yanga winning 40 matches compared to Simba's 32, with 40 draws.

Yanga have scored 120 goals against Simba's 105 in their head-to-head encounters. The records also show that the Jangwani Street lads have accumulated 160 points against Simba's 136 in the league matches.

However, Simba take pride in their record from the previous Community Shield season, in which they beat Yanga 3-1 on penalties, with Simba’s goalkeeper, Ally Salim, becoming the hero after saving shots from Khalid Aucho, Zouzoua Pacome, and Kouassi Yao.

In the shootouts, Salim allowed one goal by Stephane Aziz KI, while Djigui Diarra saved one by Saidi Ntibazonkiza.

The August 8 encounter between the heavyweights is expected to be nail-biting, with fans eager to watch their newly signed stars showcasing their skills. Simba have made significant changes to their squad by signing 13 new players.

However, the match’s main attractions are expected to be Yanga’s two players, Clatous Chama and Jean Baleke, who, if fielded, will be making their debut against their former employer.