Simba SC will make history in the Mainland Premier League if they manage to beat rivals Yanga SC in the Kariakoo derby at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Saturday.
The Wekundu wa Msimbazi under coach Didier Gomes Da Rosa, will be crowned champions for the fourth season in a row, with four matches to spare if they pick maximum points from the rescheduled fixture.
No team in the history of the league has ever achieved four titles in a row but Simba with 73 points from 29 matches are a game away from achieving the fete and they could celebrate it in front of their bitter rivals.
However, if Yanga manages to pull a win or a draw, then they will delay Simba’s celebrations to next week when they face KMC FC at the same venue.
| Game | Simba SC vs Yanga SC |
| Date | Saturday, July 3, 2021 |
| Time | 17:00 (EAT) |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In Tanzania, the game will be LIVE on Azam TV.
| Tanzania TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Azam TV | NONE |
| Outside (Tanzania) TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Azam TV | NONE |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Simba SC squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Ally Juma, Aishi Manula, and Beno Kakolanya. |
| Defenders | Shomari Kapombe, Joash Onyango, David Kameta, Hussein Mohamed, Gadiel Michael, Erasto Nyoni, Pascal Wawa, Kennedy Juma, Ibrahim Mohamed. |
| Midfielders | Chris Mugalu, Bernard Morrison, Mzamiru Yassin, Hassan Dilunga, Clatous Chama, Luis Miquissone, Larry Bwalya, Said Juma, Taddeo Lwanga. |
| Forwards | Miraji Athuman, Ibrahim Ajibu, John Bocco, Meddie Kagere, Charles Ilamfia, and Perfect Chikwende. |
Simba assistant coach Selemani Matola has stressed the importance of the fixture and insisted they are going for the title in front of their rivals.
“It will be sweet and nice if we get the title against Yanga,” Matola told Goal. “We want to win it [the trophy] in front of them [Yanga] and I know we will achieve our mission.”
The Msimbazi giants have all their players available except for suspended Jonas Mkude, who is yet to be cleared by the disciplinary committee after skipping training.
Probable XI for Simba SC: Manula, Onyango, Kapombe, Wawa, Hussein, Lwanga, Bwalya, Mzamiru, Bocco, Mugalu, Miquissone.
| Position | Yanga SC squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Farouk Shikhalo, Metacha Mnata, and Ramadhani Kabwili. |
| Defenders | Kibwana Shomari, Yassin Mustafa, Adeyum Saneh, Lamine Moro, Bakari Mwamnyeto, Said Ali, Dickson Job, Fiston Abdoul, Hassan Mwamba, Mustapha Abdul, Hamadi Shaban, Ali Kipande, Mohamed Malende, and Feisal Abdallah. |
| Midfielders | Harouna Niyonzima, Abdul Makame, Mukoko Tonombe, Mapinduzi Balama, Juma Mahadhi, Tuisila Kisinda, Yacoub Songne, and Waziri Junior. |
| Forwards | Ditram Nchimbi, Deus Kaseke, Michael Sarpong, and Said Ntibanzonzika. |
Yanga have received a huge boost ahead of the derby with striker Fiston Abdoul Razak declaring himself fit to start after returning from injury.
However, the Jangwani giants will miss the services of four players - Abdalah Shaibu ‘Ninja’, Yassin Mustapha, and Balama Mapinduzi, who are out injured while captain Lamine Moro, goalkeeper Metacha Mnata and striker Michael Sarpong will miss out on disciplinary grounds.
Mnata’s absence means Kenyan custodian Farouk Shikhalo will start in the derby.
Probable XI for Yanga SC: Shikhalo, Kibwana, Adeyum, Dickson Job, Mwamnyeto (c), Mauya, Sarpong, Feisal, Nchimbi, Kaseke, Songne.
Match Preview
Simba have already taken control of the 18-team league table as they are six points ahead of their rivals, and a win against the Jangwani giants will hand them a fourth straight title in the history of the Tanzanian top-flight.
During the first meeting, Simba needed an 86th-minute goal from Kenya defender Joash Onyango to snatch a late draw after Yanga had taken the lead through a 25th-minute penalty converted by striker Michael Sarpong.
Simba SC.
This will be the first Kariakoo Derby for both coaches – Simba’s Didier Gomes Da Rosa, who joined the team on January 24 following the exit of Belgian Sven Vandenbroeck, and Yanga’s Nasreddine Nabi, who arrived on April 23 after the club moved to sack Burundian Cedric Kaze.
Simba’s current dominance – having won three consecutive league titles - over their rivals started in the 2017/18 season but they were unable to pick up six points from Yanga as the first meeting ended in a 1-1 draw before the champions won 1-0 in the reverse fixture.
The 2018/19 ties took a similar pattern to the previous ones with few goals in matches as only one goal was scored. The first match ended in a 0-0 draw before Simba picked up a 1-0 win as they retained the title.
Last season, the two giants met three times, with the first round ending in a 2-2 draw before Yanga turned on the screw to win the second round fixture 1-0, but they again faced off in the semi-finals of the FA Cup where Simba won 4-1.