Samia hails Simba
- Club award players, technical bench 500m/-
DAR ES SALAAM: PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has congratulated Simba SC for cruising into the CAF Champions League quarterfinals after mauling Jwaneng Galaxy 6-0 at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam over the weekend.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan congratulated the team on their success, becoming the first Head of State to witness two Tanzanian clubs, Simba and Young Africans, qualify for the quarter-finals of the prestigious club contest on the continent.
Through her verified Instagram account, the President wrote: “Congratulations Simba for reaching the quarter-finals of the champions’ league… your success is not only a pride to Simba fraternity but rather to the whole country and all Tanzanians.
” The President has been instrumental in the success of both teams, rewarding each goal they score 5m/-, which has motivated players to work hard. Simba has received a total of 40m/- from the presidential motivation package after winning 2-0 against Wydad Casablanca and 6-0 against Jwaneng Galaxy.
Yanga has also received 35m/- from the same package following their 3-0 triumph over Madeama and a 4-0 victory against CR Belouizdad. In addition to the amount issued by the Head of State to Simba, the club had promised to award the team 400m/- if it qualifies for the CAF Champions League quarter-finals.
Furthermore, the Club’s Board Chairman, Salum Abdallah, presented an additional 100m/- to the team, separate from the amount pledged by the club.
The extra amount was a token of appreciation for the team’s hard work from the Club’s President, Mohamed Dewji. This means that the total amount the team will receive from the club is 500m/-.
The club’s chairman then requested the Minister for Culture, Arts and Sports, Damas Ndumbaro, to hand over the amount to the team manager, who received on behalf of the entire team.
The Minister for Culture, Arts and Sports, Damas Ndumbaro, also congratulated both Simba and Yanga for reaching the last eight of the competition and thanked President Samia for investing a lot in sports development and for allocating a lot of money for the refurbishment of the stadium.
“All these successes we are enjoying have been orchestrated by our President Samia Suluhu Hassan as her administration has invested a lot in sports development.
“She has also allocated a lot of money for the refurbishment of this stadium that is why you see it in good shape,” Ndumbaro said.
Ndumbaro also thanked the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF), the management of the two clubs and the players for driving the country’s football to new heights. He noted that Tanzania is the only nation to send two teams to the quarters of the Champions League, and he hopes that both teams will go further into the finals.
“Of all 54 countries in Africa, we are the only nation to send two teams to the quarters of the Champions League and let’s keep praying for them to go further into the finals…it will be thrilling to witness a traditional derby CAF CL finale,” he said.
