Simba SC assistant coach Seleman Matola has rubbished transfer reports linking him with a move to Azam FC ahead of the new season.
The ‘Ice Cream Makers’ have been linked with the former Taifa Stars player for many seasons and recent reports indicated they were very close to acquiring his services.
Matola joined Simba from Polisi Tanzania at the start of the current campaign and has been working under Belgian coach Sven Vandenbroeck.
Matola, who recently guided Simba to their third straight Mainland Premier League title after they finished the season on 88 points, has now come out to clarify the transfer issue, insisting he is still contracted to the Wekundu wa Msimbazi and has never been approached by Azam.
“I am a coach of Simba and that is where I do my work, and with reports, I have landed a new job at Azam, I don’t know where those reports are coming from, I don’t have any idea, no team has approached me for my services, and I am contracted to Simba,” Matola is quoted by Sokaletu.
According to reports gathered by Goal, Matola was picked from a pool of other assistant coaches who had submitted their CVs for the job, which also included Kagera Sugar head coach Mecky Maxime.
In a recent interview, a source privy to the deal but did now want to be named told Goal: “It is true that Matola will cross over from Yanga to handle Azam on the same capacity.
“Matola was among the coaches Azam officials were looking at and he has been picked ahead of Maxime, Azam are keen to build a strong technical bench as they want to challenge for titles in the coming season.”
Azam are currently under the tutelage of Romanian coach Aristica Cioaba and lost their fight to finish second on the 20-team league table as Young Africans (Yanga SC) beat them to the spot on the final day of the 2019-20 season on Sunday.
Azam have already confirmed they will sign at least 15 players to help beef up the squad ahead of the new season.
With the team also missing out on winning the FA Cup after losing 2-0 to Simba in the quarter-finals, the club officials have now asked coach Cioaba to go for quality players so they are able to challenge for trophies next season.
Azam information officer Thabit Zakaria has confirmed they have given the Romanian coach a free hand to pick the players he wants for the team and they will not care about the number even if he signs 15 new players.
