‘Simba SC made Kaizer Chiefs look mediocre’ - Dewji after Caf exit

Simba SC owner Mohammed Dewji has stated they made Kaizer Chiefs look mediocre in their quarter-final return leg tie of the Caf Champions League on Saturday.

Amakhosi used home advantage at FNB Stadium to beat the Msimbazi giants 4-0 in their first-ever meeting and despite Simba winning the return leg 3-0 at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, it was not enough to see them reach the semi-finals.

The Wekundu wa Msimbazi outplayed Chiefs in the return leg and scored their goals through captain John Bocco, who notched a double while Zambian midfielder Clatous Chama made it 3-0 with six minutes left to the final whistle but the Soweto giants held on to qualify on a 4-3 aggregate win.

But according to the millionaire boss, despite exiting the competition, he was proud of his players and further stated not only did they outplay Chiefs at home, but they also made them look mediocre throughout the match.

“Simba not only outplayed Kaizer [Chiefs], but we made them look very mediocre,” Dewji, who bankrolls the Mainland Premier League champions wrote on his social media pages.

“Yesterday’s [Saturday’s] match against Kaizer Chiefs was to be a tough one from the start. Our players did their best and showed character and for that, I am so proud of them. We didn’t make it to the semi-finals but we live to fight for another day.”

In a recent interview, Dewji revealed his plans to boost the Tanzanian champions financially and further confirmed the decision had forced him to shelve his plans to purchase a Ferrari and a Rolls-Royce.

“I was almost going to buy myself a Ferrari and a Rolls-Royce, I guess that plan is out of the window,” Dewji wrote on his pages.

“I will have to channel more funds to Simba, the club’s success and growth are more important than my personal enjoyment. This is Simba.”

In 2016, Dewji, who is ranked as the richest man in Tanzania, made a $10 million bid to acquire a controlling stake of at least 51% in Simba and immediately told journalists his plans to transform Simba into Africa’s most successful club by hiring high-quality players and investing in key infrastructure.

Simba SC, which was founded in 1936 by a group of community leaders in Dar es Salaam, currently has a fan base of more than 10 million people and is constantly ranked among the top three clubs in the Tanzanian league.