Yanga, Simba handed tricky CAF Cup opponents

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s envoys in the continental clubs championships Young Africans (Yanga) and Simba have been handed a seemingly tough draw in the group stage of the competition.

At the draw ceremony conducted today December 12,  the Tanzania’s flag bearer housed in Group D together with TP Mazembe of DR Congo, US Monastir of Tunisia and As Real de Bamako of Mali.

The first group stage encounter is scheduled to take place on February 13 whereby Yanga will play against US Monastir of Tunisia in Tunis and later play against TP Mazembe at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in February 19. The Jangwani Street giants will later play away match against Real Bamako between in February 26.

At the same time, Simba SC have a huge task to do after falling in a tricky group whereby they will face Morocco’s powerhouse Raja Casablanca, Horoya AC (Guinea) and Uganda’s Vipers between February and April next year.

Speaking with The Citizen yesterday, Simba’s board director chairman, Salim “Try Again” Abdallah said that they will not underrate any team in the group stage.

Abdallah said all teams that have been qualified in the stage are tough and believe they will get strong challenges in both home and away matches.

“It is challenging group as we will face mixed teams. There are teams that we know their strength and others that are new. But in football you need to rate them equally because sometimes football have very strange results.

 “We have strategies ahead of the matches. We did that soon after qualifying, so we do not intimidated with any team rather than taking all matches serious,” said Abdallah.

He said the task remain for the technical bench prepare technical plan that will enable the team sail through in the knockout stages.