DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA’S CAF Interclub Competition representatives, Simba SC and Young Africans (Yanga) are optimistic about turning their fortunes around after recent setbacks in their respective campaigns.
are optimistic about turning their fortunes around after recent setbacks in their respective campaigns. In the CAF Champions League, Yanga suffered their second consecutive defeat, losing 2-0 to MC Alger in Algeria, following an earlier home loss to Al Hilal at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
Meanwhile, in the CAF Confederation Cup, Simba fell 2-1 to CS Constantine at Stade Mohamed Hamlaouri in Algeria. This was Simba’s first loss in the tournament, coming on the heels of a 1-0 victory against FC Bravos at home.
Both teams are gearing up for crucial third fixtures in their respective competitions this weekend, with hopes of rekindling their quarterfinal aspirations.
Yanga will travel to DR Congo to face TP Mazembe at Stade TP Mazembe on Saturday in a decisive Group A Champions League encounter. With neither team having secured a win so far, the stakes are high.
Yanga’s Media and Communication Manager, Ally Kamwe, emphasised the importance of securing a win to keep their quarterfinal hopes alive.
“This is a very important match for us to win in order to rekindle our hopes of reaching the quarterfinals,” Kamwe said.
“The challenge is that TP Mazembe are also searching for their first victory, so they won’t be easy to beat. We are going there with a winning mentality, which is crucial for regaining our confidence in this competition. We have a strong team, and we need full support from our members and fans,” he added.
Group A standings currently place Al Hilal of Sudan at the top with six points, followed by MC Alger with four points. TP Mazembe are third with one point, while Yanga sit at the bottom, yet to earn a point or score a goal in the tournament.
Meanwhile, Simba will host Tunisian side CS Sfaxien at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Sunday for their third CAF Confederation Cup match and Coach Fadlu Davids remains confident in his squad’s ability to bounce back from their recent defeat.
“We have enough time to address the small issues that prevented us from winning the previous game in Algeria and I believe we have a competitive squad that can turn things around and get a win on Sunday,” Davids said. Simba’s captain, Mohamed Hussein, who scored their lone goal against CS Constantine, also expressed optimism.
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“Despite the loss in the last match, our goal of reaching the quarterfinals remains unchanged,” Hussein said.
“I urge our members and fans to come out in full support on Sunday and help us secure a victory.”
In the Confederation Cup Group A standings, CS Constantine leads with six points, while Simba and FC Bravos are tied with three points each. CS Sfaxien, yet to earn a point, sits at the bottom.
