After losing by a lone goal to their archrivals, Young Africans in the finals of the CECAFA Kagame Cup tournament a few months ago, Simba Sports Club last week paid their rivals in kind when they beat them by two goals to nil in the Community Shield match played at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
Simba’s victory brought to an end their archrivals’ continued celebrations, hence marking the start of their own celebrations as both clubs prepare for the start of the league season.
It now remains to be seen when Simba’s celebrations would end. However, one thing is clear, it is time the two clubs started thinking beyond their rivalries by working out strategies that would help them win continental clubs tournaments!
After winning all that is supposed to be won in East and Central Africa, Simba and Young Africans managements should seriously start thinking about bringing Champions league and Confederation trophies to trophies to this part of the region.
And one way of doing that is to ensure that both clubs started behaving like professional clubs they are supposed to be otherwise the massive funds their managements have been spending on foreign players would be nothing but a waste!
For a start, it is extremely important that the two clubs’ leaderships started paying their players in accordance with their performance on the field.
A player’s earnings should be commensurate to what he performs on the pitch. It does not make sense paying handsomely a striker who keeps on fluffing scoring opportunities!
Therefore the strength of a striker should be be judged by the number of assists and scores he makes for his club,
The same thing should be applicable for defenders and goalkeepers.
The more they protect their goals from marauding forwards, hence keeping clean sheets, the better would be their salaries and other fringe benefits.
It is only by adhering to professionalism can our clubs in the premier league give the kind of performance that could finally transform Tanzania into a soccer power-house.
It is important that managements of both clubs started reviewing their performance since they were established in 1930s.
It is shameful that after almost 80 years, the only time Tanzania reached the finals of any continental club tournament was at the end of 1993 when Simba lost to Stella Abidjan from the Ivory Coast by two goals to nil in a match played at the Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam!
As for the continental club champions, the only time Tanzania reached the semifinals was at the end of 1974 when the same club, Simba was eliminated by Egypt’s textile team, Mehalla el Kubra in Cairo!
Since then, the story of Tanzania’s participation in continental clubs tournaments have been a story of missed opportunities that has seen both clubs losing in the preliminaries.
Indeed it is time that members and fans from both clubs realized that their rivalries is meaningless as long as it confined to matches between them!
Samba and Young Africans members and fans should from now onwards take their rivalries beyond their clubs and local derbies to continental tournaments.
Yes, they ought to start daring each other to go beyond continental clubs finals by lifting continental silverware!
The other day somebody from the parliament in Dodoma invited Simba to the august House after the club beat their archrivals to win Community Shield.
Such invitations would only make sense if clubs are invited after winning continental clubs trophies and not regional and local trophies!
It is only by confining such invitations to something akin to lifetime achievement that would make Bunge invitations important and not a place for every Tom, Dich and Harry!
And talking about Bunge invitations which is increasingly becoming a vogue nowadays, it is time our Mps became judicious in the use of their august House before they turn it into something else!
By Attilio Tagalile
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