Tanzania’s Simba Queens will launch their campaign in the CECAFA Women’s Club Championship qualifiers tomorrow, facing Burundi’s Top Girls at Pele Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda.
The Tanzanian side enters the competition with a clear ambition of going all the way after completing an intensive build-up that included international friendly matches in Tanzania and Kenya.
Simba Queens head coach Mussa Hassan Mgosi said yesterday that his players were fully prepared for the challenge and determined to deliver a strong performance.
“Our preparations in Tanzania and Kenya, where we played international friendly matches, were designed to help the technical bench identify areas that needed improvement while strengthening those where we performed well. The preparations have helped us and we are ready,” Mgosi said.
The coach said the team was approaching the tournament with a strong sense of responsibility, recognising both the competitive demands of the qualifiers and the expectations of Tanzanian football fans.
“We are looking at this competition from two perspectives: the competitive aspect and fulfilling the mission given to us by Tanzanians and Simba fans to perform well,” he said.
Mgosi’s side will be looking to make a positive start against Top Girls as they seek to put themselves in a strong position in the race for qualification.
Simba Queens midfielder Fatuma Issa said the players were equally motivated and understood the significance of representing both the club and the country on the regional stage.
She said the technical bench had prepared the team well, leaving the players with the responsibility of translating that preparation into results on the pitch.
“The technical bench has done its part. It is now our responsibility as players to fight for the Tanzanian flag and the Simba badge,” Fatuma said.
The midfielder acknowledged that Simba Queens had struggled to make a significant impact in previous editions but said the team had returned with renewed determination.
“In previous years, we did not perform well, but we have come back with a new determination to ensure we do better in this competition,” she said.
With preparations complete and the players focused on the task ahead, Simba Queens will now seek to turn their renewed confidence into results as they begin their quest for regional honours and a place among Africa’s leading women’s club sides.
