Simba dedicate CAF decider to defender Inonga
Simba’s Congolese defender, Henock Inonga, during a past Match. PHOTO | COURTESY
What you need to know:
- Inonga, who played for his country of DR Congo in the third playoff against South Africa at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals in Ivory Coast, stands out as a player, who deserves the club’s dedication, according to Simba Information Manager Ahmed Ally.
Dar es Salaam. Football giants in the country, Simba SC, have dedicated their crucial CAF Champions League match on Saturday against Jwaneng Galaxy of Botswana to their dependable defender, Henock Inonga.
Inonga, who played for his country of DR Congo in the third playoff against South Africa at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals in Ivory Coast, stands out as a player, who deserves the club’s dedication, according to Simba Information Manager Ahmed Ally.
Ally said Inonga’s great contribution to the team’s success prompted the club to dedicate the encounter to him.
“We will be honouring Inonga’s contribution to the club. We also urge our players to propel our club to the CAF Champions League’s glory.
“Their determination to success remains unwavering as we aim to secure victory and continue our pursuit of glory on the continental stage,” said Ally.
He said the match holds immense significance for Simba as they seek victory to qualify for the quarter-finals of the CAF Champions League.
"We need to qualify for the fourth time for the CAF Champions League quarter-finals.
“You can see how the match is important for us to win as only Asec Mimosas have secured qualification from our group. We are vying for one slot,” insisted Ally.
The Msimbazi Street giants are currently positioned second in Group B with six points, tying with Wydad Club Athletics, who will be clashing with Asec Mimosas.
All in all, the results of both Simba and Wydad Club Athletics will determine which team between them will advance to the knock-out stage of the tournament.
However, Simba will have to focus on their match against Jwaneng Galaxy to avoid a repeat of past disappointments, such as the 2021 CAF Champions League’s qualification round, from which they were eliminated.
In that instance, despite Simba’s 2-0 away victory in the first leg, they succumbed to a 3-1 defeat in the return leg at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
As they prepare to face Jwaneng Galaxy in the return leg this time around, Simba must be aware of the importance of coming out with a positive result that will make them sail through to the quarters of the competition and make their fans happy.
