Legends hail Yanga, Simba
FOOTBALL legends have commended Simba and Young Africans for their outstanding performance in the CAF Champions League, urging them to maintain their high standards in the coming years.
This marks the first time that two Tanzanian teams have simultaneously progressed to the last eight of the CAF Champions League in the same year.
Although Young Africans suffered a setback in their final game against Al Ahly in Cairo, they secured the second spot in Group D, and their advancement was not hindered by the loss as Belouizdad defeated Medeama 3-0 in the group’s other match.
On the other hand, their arch-rivals Simba progressed in Group B, finishing level on points with Wydad but clinched their quarter-final spot due to their superior record.
Speaking to the Daily News, Shadrack Nsajigwa, a former Young Africans player, attributed the progress of Simba and Yanga in the quarter-finals to their substantial investments in international competitions over the past three years.
“The qualification of Simba and Yanga into the quarter-finals is a result of the quality embedded within the teams, spanning from the players, technical aspects and various developed components,” Nsajigwa remarked.
Nsajigwa, who also was a former Tanzania national team captain, expressed his desire to see positive transformations in other Tanzanian clubs and witness them performing well in international competitions.
“The two teams Simba and Yanga have been so good recently; therefore, I would love to see other Tanzanian clubs doing well in their programs so that we can have a lot of teams in international competitions,” he said.
Former Simba Sports Club player Mussa Hassan Mgosi, who is now the Simba Queens Assistant Coach, said it is fantastic to see two Tanzanian teams progressing in the next stage of the CAF Champions League and that this should be continuous.
“We achieved it this year, and I would love to witness a continuation of this success in the upcoming years. It’s not limited to Simba and Yanga; we aspire to witness similar achievements from other teams as well,” Mgosi stated.
Mgosi further said that for the two teams to continue their good progress, they need to ensure their investments are growing and bring in new players and coaches who will keep them at the top level.
He also emphasised the importance of supporting all teams, not just Simba and Yanga and urged the government to educate Tanzanians on international competitions.
