ZANZIBAR: SIMBA are searching to seal a 100 per cent record in the group stage of the 2024 Mapinduzi Cup as they interface with APR at New Amaan Sports Complex in Zanzibar today. It is the last Group B match for the Reds and a win will see them bag nine points from three matches, thereby venturing into the quarterfinals with a 100 per cent record.
At a pre-match briefing on Thursday, Simba Assistant Coach Selemani Matola said they face a tough side who have skilled players capable of offering a good game.
“We understand that APR are among the strongest teams competing in the Mapinduzi Cup this year. We are aware that they have quality players but we are also in perfect shape to face them.
“The good thing for us is that we have no injury concerns in our squad and after the previous match versus Singida Fountain Gate, which we won 2-0, preparations for tomorrow’s encounter started right away,” Matola said.
He added that playing a game after one day is not healthy but they have a deep squad to conduct rotation of players in order to maintain their balance of doing well in their fixtures.
The Reds launched their Mapinduzi Cup campaign with a 3-1 triumph over JKU before hammering Singida Fountain Gate 2-0 hence they have another hurdle to clear before joining the last eight category.
On his part, APR coach Thierry Froger also forecast a difficult match against Simba saying they need to be at their top form in order to carry the day.
“We have seen them how they play. They are a good team with good players and they play nice football. As such, we need to be cautious throughout the match if we are to stop them and grab convincing results,” Froger said.
For APR, it is a must-win assignment to resurface their hopes of making a breakthrough into the quarterfinals as they currently have 3 points from two played matches. In their first fixture, they defeated JKU 3-1. In the Rwanda Premier League, APR sit at the top of the log with 33 points after 15 league games and are yet to suffer a defeat.
