Simba, Yanga fever heats up

DAR ES SALAAM: FORMER players suggest that the eagerly awaited traditional derby between Young Africans and Simba will be a key indicator of each team’s readiness for the new season campaign.

The two country’s heavyweight sides will meet in the Community Shield semifinal at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam tomorrow and the winner will advance to the final, set for Sunday at the same venue.

The other semi-final, which will be staged on the same day at New Amaan Sports Complex in Zanzibar where Azam FC will play against Coastal Union in search of Sunday’s final’s ticket with the winner either facing Simba or Yanga.

Former national team ‘Taifa Stars’ coach, Adolf Richard provided insights on the upcoming clash, “Simba has made significant changes, including new players and a new coach, which has altered their playing style.

They are now more aggressive in pressing for possession, a notable improvement over their previous difficulties in regaining the ball,”

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However, he also mentioned that Simba’s defensive capabilities remain uncertain, as their recent friendly against APR did not fully test their defense.

Richard also praised Yanga for their strong performance and improvements in addressing past weaknesses, while maintaining their consistent playing style.

“This derby will offer valuable insights into which team is better prepared for the new season, though the outcome won’t affect the Premier League title race at this early stage,” he added.

Former Pilsner attacking midfielder Abdallah Selemani ‘Kaburu’ shared his perspective, emphasising the unpredictability of the derby.

“Predicting the outcome is challenging, especially since I’ve only seen one full friendly match from Simba against APR.

While they have acquired talented players, it’s hard to gauge their form from just one game.

In contrast, Yanga has shown strong performances in their pre-season matches, but derbies are always unpredictable,” he noted.

Abdul Ntila, a former Majimaji FC player, also weighed in, anticipating a highly competitive match. “From my experience watching many derbies between these two teams, I expect this one to be more competitive than previous encounters.

Ultimately, the final whistle will decide the winner,” he said.

This upcoming derby will be the first of the new season 2024/25 with the two sides coming from their preseason camps in Egypt and South Africa respectively their supporters are keen to know the outcome of the derby.

In the previous Community Shield, Simba emerged winner on penalties by 3-1 goals after the two sides shared spoil after a barren draw in the regular time of the match at the Mkwakwani Stadium in Tanga region.