Yanga, Simba to face off August 8 in Community Shield semifinal tie in Dar
What you need to know:
- Simba are the defending champions of the competition after defeating Yanga 3-1 on penalties following a goalless draw in regulation time in a thrilling match held on August 13 last year at the Mkwakwani Stadium in Tanga region.
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s bitter rivals, Young Africans (Yanga) and Simba, will face off in the Community Shield’s semi-final tie on August 8 at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
The match has been scheduled to kick off at 7pm and prior to that, Azam FC will meet Coastal Union at the New Amaan Complex in Zanzibar, starting at 4pm on the same day.
The Community Shield matches mark the official opening of the Tanzania Mainland NBC Premier League.
Simba are the defending champions of the competition after defeating Yanga 3-1 on penalties following a goalless draw in regulation time in a thrilling match held on August 13 last year at the Mkwakwani Stadium in Tanga region.
According to a statement issued by the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF), the third playoff and final will be held at the Benjamin Mkapa 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 involve the winner between Coastal Union against Azam FC against the winner between Yanga and Simba.
The Community Shield is being held for the second time after having inaugurated last season at the Mkwakwani Stadium.
It is also a second time for the Mainland competition matches to be held at the New Amaan Sports Complex after the CRDB Federation Cup final match saw Yanga beating Azam FC to win the title on penalties.
Yanga and Simba are going to meet for the second time this year as their first encounter was held on April 20, 2024, at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in the Tanzania NBC Premier League.
In their first leg held on November 5, 2023, Yanga won 5-1 at the same venue.
So far Yanga have won 40 matches over Simba since 1965 in the history of the 112 matches they have played.
Simba have recorded 32 wins, with 40 draws while 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.
However, in the shootouts Salim allowed one goal by Stephane Aziz KI, while Djigui Diarra saved one by Saidi Ntibazonkiza.
So, the August 8 encounter between the heavyweights is expected to be nail biting with fans being eager to watch their newly signed stars showcasing their skills for their squads.
Simba have made significant changes to their squad after signing 13 new players.
However, the match’s centre of attraction are obviously expected to be Yanga’s two players, Clatous Chama and Jean Baleke, who, if fielded, will be making their debut against their former employer.
