No title talk yet – Fadlu

DAR ES SALAAM: SIMBA Head Coach Fadlu Davids has urged caution despite his team’s dominant performance, insisting it’s too early to talk about winning the league title.

His remarks came after Simba’s emphatic 5-1 victory over Pamba Jiji at KMC Complex in Dar es Salaam on Thursday, as he underscored that the focus remains on consistency and taking each match as it comes.

With the emphatic win, Simba climb to 66 points from 25 matches, cutting the gap to just four points behind league leaders Young Africans, who have played one more game.

The title race is heating up with only a few matches left.

“It is not yet time to talk about winning the championship. We cannot talk about the title while we are still behind in terms of matches played. Even after the final, we have still had one more match to go,” he said. Fadlu stressed the importance of staying grounded and maintaining momentum in the remaining fixtures: “Our focus remains on winning every game ahead of us,” he added.

Coach Fadlu said that he is proud of the way the team has continued to win matches. He said the players are showing great character and that is crucial at this point of the season.

He spoke positively of Augustine Okejepha, saying that it is encouraging to see him in good shape on the pitch, whereby he played full 90 minutes on Thursday’s game.

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“He has not played for a while, but today he showed great potential. I’m pleased with his contribution on the pitch today. His energy, vision and ability to link up play were impressive, especially considering the time he’s spent away. It’s encouraging to see him step up with such confidence and composure,” he said.

For Pamba Jiji, the loss deepens their relegation worries. Sitting in 13th place with 27 points from 27 games, they remain perilously in the playoff zone with just three matches left to secure their top-flight survival.

On the other side, Pamba Jiji’s head coach Fredy Felix Minziro attributed the heavy loss to poor discipline on the field.

“When you face a strong team like Simba, you must play with tactical discipline. “We had a plan, but we didn’t execute it with consistency. This level of competition demands mental strength and discipline from the first whistle to the last,” he admitted.

The result leaves Pamba Jiji with much to ponder as they struggle to stay clear of relegation, while Simba look ahead to their next match with eyes firmly fixed on closing the gap at the top