By Prosper Makene
Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan pledged on Tuesday that she will buy every goal scored by the country’s football giants Simba SC and Young Africans SC when they play against tough clashes in Dar es Salaam on Saturday and Sunday.
The Young Africans and Simba SC all lost their matches in Tunisia and Guinea last weekend and they will both play against Congo DRC’s TP Mazembe and Raja Casablanca from Morocco.
Both teams will play their matches at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Tanzania’s business capital of Dar es Salaam.
The President’s pledge is set to uplift morale among the players so as to keep alive their hopes in Confederation Cup tournaments and CAF Champions League.
Tanzania’s Chief Government Spokesperson, Mr Gerson Msigwa told editors in Dar es Salaam’s commercial capital that President Samia will award any goal with Tsh 5 million in Yanga SC against TP Mazembe on the 19th of and Simba SC against Raja Casablanca.
Simba S.C.
Simba Sports Club is a football club based in Kariakoo, Dar es Salaam Tanzania, Founded in 1936, the club, which broke away from another giant football team in Tanzania, Dar Young Africans was first named Queens, in honour of her Majesty, the Queen of England. The Club had several name changes from Queens to Eagles, then, Sunderland. In 1971 they have renamed Simba (Swahili for “Lion”).
Simba SC has won 21 league titles and five domestic cups, and has participated in the CAF Champions League multiple times. They are also one of the biggest clubs in East Africa, having won the CECAFA Club Championship six times.
Simba plays their home games at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium. In 2022, Simba was the fastest-growing Instagram account among football clubs, with 1.9 million followers and a growth of 89% from the previous year. The club is one of the richest in East Africa, with a total budget of Sh 6.1 Billion (equivalent to $5.3 million) unveiled for the 2019/2020 season.
Young Africans S.C.
Young Africans Sports Club, commonly referred as Yanga is a Tanzanian professional football club based in Jangwani, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Founded in 1935, the club play their home games at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.
Nicknamed “Yanga” (Young Boys), the club has won 28 league titles and number of domestic cups, and have participated in multiple CAF Champions League editions. They have won the CECAFA Club Championship five times.
The club became a symbol of the anti-colonial movement. Young Africans became associated with nationalists and freedom fighters, and inspired the political party TANU to adopt yellow and green as their primary colours. The club is currently in a process that will keep the club ownership 49% for investors and the rest 51% to the club members.
The club holds a long-standing rivalry with their cross-city rivals Simba, whom they contest the Dar es Salaam (better known as Kariakoo) derby. The rivalry was ranked 5th as one of the most famous African derbies.
