Yanga SC’s Mazingiza: Manula and four Simba SC players deserve big move

Yanga SC have opened a war of words with their rivals Simba SC just a day after the latter were bundled out of the Caf Champions League.

The Msimbazi giants failed to make it to the semi-finals of the competition despite beating Kaizer Chiefs of South Africa 3-0 in the quarter-final return leg clash at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium as Amakhosi qualified instead, though a 4-3 aggregate win, as they had won the first leg 4-0 at FNB Stadium.

Simba's exit has given their Mainland Premier League rivals something to talk about and in a shocking revelation, Yanga official Senzo Mazingiza, who quit Simba to join the Jangwani giants at the start of the season, has claimed five players in the Simba squad have improved beyond playing for them and deserve a big transfer.

In a statement that has not been received well by the Simba faithful, Mazingiza has named the five players as goalkeeper Aishi Manula, defender Shomari Kapombe, midfielder Clatous Chama, winger Louis Miquissone and defender Pascal Wawa.

“All respect to the players I have worked with but judging from the recent Caf inter-club competition, Aishi [Manula], Shomari [Kapombe], Clatous [Chama], Louis [Miquissone] and Pascal [Wawa] deserve a big move,” Mazingiza wrote on his social media pages.

Simba fans have already descended on Mazingiza’s page asking him to keep off the affairs of the club now that he had decamped to join their rivals.

On fan wrote: “Senzo Mbatha, you better zip your mouth. Talk about Yanga. We wished you the best when you left us. So maybe, instead, of talking about our players, you have to congratulate new Simba CEO Barbara Gonzalez for the great work she is doing.

“It is far great than yours.”

After being eliminated from the Caf competition, Simba have already promised to sweep all the trophies on offer in Tanzania starting with retaining the league title and also the domestic cup.

On Saturday, Simba spokesman Haji Manara called on Simba fans not to be disturbed by the team’s exit, insisting they had not lost anything and that luck was not on their side.

“I want to ask our fans not to be worried very much after the exit, we did our best but luck was not on our side, and for those rivals taunting you, just know they are very happy with what Simba have achieved in this campaign in their hearts but cannot show it,” Manara said.

“Our dream is to make sure the country is well represented in terms of football but for them, they want to keep talking bad about us whereas they [our rivals] have never even reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League.”

A double from captain John Bocco and Clatous Chama’s late strike pushed Chiefs to the end but the 3-0 win also ensured Simba had not lost a match at Mkapa Stadium in the campaign this season.