Simba have rejected the suggestion that they will enter Saturday’s Kariakoo Derby against Yanga as underdogs, saying the rivalry is capable of producing a different outcome regardless of recent results.
The two sides will meet at Uhuru Stadium on October 10 in one of the most anticipated fixtures on the Tanzanian football calendar, with Simba seeking to overturn a run of disappointing results against their city rivals.
Simba spent 10 days in a training camp in South Africa preparing for their domestic and continental campaigns before returning to Dar es Salaam to complete preparations for the derby.
Speaking after the team’s arrival, Simba manager Patrick Rweyemamu said previous meetings would have little bearing on Saturday’s contest, which he described as a match where neither side could afford to relax.
“The Simba-Yanga match has no friendship, no league [position], nothing. For the fans, it is a ‘do or die’ match, so we believe we still have another five or six days,” Rweyemamu said.
He acknowledged that Simba have not enjoyed the best record against Yanga in recent years but pointed to last season’s results as evidence that his side can compete and win against their rivals.
Simba managed to collect points from Yanga in the league last season and also recorded a victory, results Rweyemamu believes can provide confidence ahead of Saturday’s encounter.
The manager said the club’s decision to hold a training camp in South Africa was aimed at giving the technical bench enough time to work on tactical and physical aspects of the team while allowing players to build greater understanding.
The team also played a number of friendly and training matches during the camp, although Rweyemamu stressed that the results of those games were not the main priority.
Instead, the coaching staff used the matches to assess how players were implementing instructions, improve coordination and ensure the squad received adequate playing time.
“We played training games that were more technical. We were rotating players so that everyone could get playing time,” he said.
Rweyemamu said the camp also helped the technical bench assess communication between players and how effectively they were working together on the pitch.
“For us, we were not ready for the results. We were looking at whether what we had learnt was being implemented by the players, especially ball coordination,” he said.
He added that some of the tactical work done during the camp would remain confidential as Simba prepare for a match in which small details could make the difference.
“In football, there are technical things that you have to keep secret,” he said.
With only a few days remaining before the derby, Simba are expected to shift their focus from broader preparations to the specific demands of facing Yanga.
The Kariakoo Derby remains one of the biggest fixtures in East African football, with the outcome carrying significance for supporters of both clubs well beyond the league table.
For Simba, Saturday’s match offers an opportunity to make a statement against their long-standing rivals and demonstrate that recent head-to-head struggles will not determine the outcome of another fiercely contested derby.