KARIAKOO DERBY: Yanga, Simba for exciting semi
DAR ES SALAAM: JUDGMENT Day has arrived as Young Africans and Simba face each other in a highly anticipated Kariakoo Derby Community Shield semi-final match at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, today.
Earlier in the day, the first semi-final will see Azam taking on Coastal Union at the New Amaan Sports Complex in Zanzibar, kicking off the competition with an early fixture.
The two victorious teams will advance to the final scheduled for Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Sunday, while the losing teams will compete for third place on the same day.
At a pre-match briefing yesterday, Yanga’s coach, Miguel Gamondi, acknowledged the limited knowledge his team has about Simba, partly due to the lack of televised matches during the pre-season.
ALSO READ: Azam Coach highlights Community Shield as top priority
“Indeed, we do not know much about them as they have a new coach and a number of new players, which makes it difficult for us to anticipate their game strategy,” Gamondi said.
“However, the good thing is that in football, there are no secrets. We will see what happens tomorrow. We are in good physical and tactical form. Starting the season with a derby in front of a packed stadium will undoubtedly provide extra motivation for us.”
Gamondi anticipates a cautious and evenly matched encounter, noting that both teams will be eager for victory in a knockout format where there is no chance for a return leg, unlike in league play.
“It’s a 50-50 game, we will approach it with a winning mentality. Usually, we coaches prepare tactics off the pitch, but ultimately, it’s the players who decide the match as soon as the referee blows the whistle,” he added.
Simba’s coach, Fadlu Davids, expressed confidence in the ‘unknown factor’ that may give his team an edge.
“Yanga has only seen us play a full game against APR, which featured two different line-ups. As a result, they don’t have full insight into the strategy we plan to use,” he explained.
Davids emphasises that his team will approach this match like any other, without pressure, and is determined to secure a win, especially after suffering two defeats to Yanga last season in the Premier League.
“We have integrated 14 new players into the squad, and while getting them to function as a cohesive unit is challenging, we believe that step by step, game after game, we will improve, the potential within Simba is massive,” he stated.
The officials for the derby clash will be led by referee Elly Sasii (Dar es Salaam), assisted by Mohamed Nkono (Tanga) and Kassim Mpanga (Dar es Salaam).
The Fourth Official will be Amina Kyando (Morogoro), with Soud Abdi (Arusha) serving as the Referee Assessor.
For the match between Azam and Coastal Union, officiating duties will be handled by Ahmed Arajiga (Manyara), along with assistants Janeth Balama (Iringa) and Ally Ramadhan (Zanzibar). Nasri Siyah (Zanzibar) will serve as Fourth Official, with Victor Mwandike (Mtwara) as the Referee Assessor. Fans can expect a thrilling day of football as these clubs vie for a place in the finals.
