Simba and Yanga urged to make Tanzania proud in CAF competitions

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s envoys in the continental club championships, Simba and Young Africans (Yanga), have been urged to play with determination in their crucial assignments over the weekend.

Simba will host Wydad Athletic Club of Morocco in the CAF Champions League quarterfinal first leg at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam while Yanga will be away facing Rivers United of Nigeria in the CAF Confederation Cup quarterfinal first leg.

The call was made by Director of Sports Development in the country Ally Mayay during an exclusive interview with The Citizen yesterday.

Mayay said both Simba and Yanga are supposed to be very keen because their opponents are also targeting to qualify for the next stage of the competitions.

“I attended the traditional giants’ encounter and saw mistakes that must be avoided in their next matches. At this stage, every team is targeting the best results and always the first legs give the real picture of the trend of a team.

“Wydad are the defending champions and are looking to retain the title for the second time in a row. We know how teams from northern Africa play their away matches, Simba who are at home have to ‘kill’ the match here,” said Mayay.

He explained that Simba must avoid conceding an early goal in the encounter and their defenders must play all high balls.

On Yanga, Mayay advised that their technical bench must work on high balls too in the match scheduled to kickoff at 4pm Tanzanian time at the Godwill Akpabio International Stadium (Uyo).

“Yanga, in their recent NBC League match, allowed Simba to score from a corner kick and even in the group stage of the ongoing CAF Confederation Cup they did the same against Union Sportive Monastirienne and Real Bamako. So, Yanga coaches have to work on the mistakes made in the encounter against Simba. I am sure if Simba were keen enough, they would score more than four goals in the game,” said Mayay.

He said the matches are very crucial and the players must be very keen throughout the games. He said Rivers United are a strong team and have proved that after qualifying for the competition for the second time in a row.