Caf Champions League: Bocco pegs hope on Simba SC's spirit of unity vs AS Vita

Striker John Bocco hopes the unity within Simba SC will push them past AS Vita in a Caf Champions League Group A encounter in Dar es Salaam on Saturday.

Bocco said the Simba players are always pushing one another to achieve good results and hopes the same will apply during the encounter at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.

"Simba have got very experienced players and who understand why they are playing for the biggest team in the country. We always encourage ourselves; whether one is playing or is on the bench we always urge ourselves on," Bocco told the club's portal on Friday.

"That is the spirit that I hope will guide us on Saturday also. We have unity and that explains why we have got the results we have so far."

The captain insisted all players are fit and ready for the game that they must win in order to book a slot in the knockout stage.

"I am happy that on our part as players, we are good to go and fight in order to help Simba achieve the set targets," he added.

 "We have had some good training from last week and I am confident we are going to do a good job on Saturday.

"Everyone is fit and I hope every player that will be given a chance to play will give a good account of themselves. I can only say we are ready for the action."

The Premier League winner also warned his teammates of being overconfident after a 1-0 win over AS Vita in Kinshasa in the reverse fixture.

"We will not be looking at the past records but we will be focused on the task ahead even though we defeated them in the first game," he continued.

"We cannot falsely encourage ourselves that we defeated them and that we are guaranteed for another win.

"But I have hope that the kind of preparations and the spirit in the team is all that we will depend on. Let me say that we as the players are ready for the match where we hope to get a win and book a quarter-final slot."

Simba are going into the game leading Group A with 10 points. Al Ahly, who lost 1-0 in Dar es Salaam against Wekundu wa Msimbazi, are second with seven points while AS Vita have four points and sit third.

Al Merrikh are at the bottom as they continue to search for a maiden win in the group.