As the date draws closer to Simba Sports Club’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), things are starting to shape up in the run-up to the much-awaited assembly, which is expected to draw a clear picture on the future of the Reds.
Kilimanjaro Premier Lager Manager, George Kavishe giving a word few minutes before the start of Yanga mini-election in Dar es Salaam.
The meeting, scheduled to take place in Dar es Salaam on Saturday, will be an avenue for Simba management, under chairman Ismail Aden Rage, to present and report the club’s achievements during their tenure.
This includes, among other issues, milestones and progress on and off the pitch as well as the finances and accounting of the club over the past year. And to facilitate the event, main sponsor Tanzania Breweries Limited (TBL), through its Kilimanjaro Premium Lager, handed over 20m/- to the club.
The fund is part of a five-year sponsorship deal the club and their archrivals Young Africans renewed with TBL two years ago, in which the brand grants 20m/- to meet the costs of the two teams’ AGMs.
“As main sponsor, we are handing over these monies as part of our obligation to support the club in its quest for more accountability, glory and prosperity on and off the field,” Kilimanjaro Premium Lager Brand Manager, George Kavishe, said when handing over the cheque to the club.
“We believe that this meeting will further strengthen the existing relationship between Simba SC and its members by giving them an opportunity to review the direction of their beloved club,” he added.
Kavishe said they were proud to be associated with Simba, given the club’s long track of accomplishments, adding that TBL was committed to continue working with the Msimbazi Street-based Reds to ensure that together they take Tanzania’s football to greater heights. “With its reach extending to millions across the country, this club is built out of a long track record of accomplishments and we are proud to be associated with it,” he said.
“Kilimanjaro Premium Lager is giving 20 million shillings to Simba SC because we support the club in its effort to maintain accountability through this meeting which provides an opportunity for direct interactions with members.” Simba Secretary General Evodius Mtawala thanked TBL for implementing the terms of their contract effectively and promised to use the funds for the intended purpose Some burning issues among Simba members including the mystery surrounding Emmanuel Okwi’s transfer to Etoile Sportive Du Sahel of Tunisia and the disastrous title defence campaign, which saw the team finish in unfamiliar third place, are set to dominate the meeting.
Okwi, who was a key player for Simba, joined the Tunisia soccer club in January, this year with the North Africa club agreeing to pay US$300,000 dollars for the prolific Uganda Cranes striker, but the Tanzania club is yet to receive a single penny from Etoile Sportive Du Sahel. In March, this year, Rage, who is also a trained lawyer, succeeded to stop a coup from radical members who had threatened to overthrow his regime in the wake of the team’s poor results.
The members voiced their complaints against Rage’s regime, key being the team’s disastrous titledefence campaign and deprived performance in this year’s CAF Champions League. The disgruntled members voiced their complaints that ever since Rage came into power in 2011, regular meetings of the clubs that were supposed to be held after every four months had been ignored. Meanwhile, Simba continued with their preseason preparations with a 1-0 win over Kahama United in Shinyanga Municipal on Sunday.
Newly-recruited striker Zahor Pazi scored the lone goal and his first goal for the club in the second half as the Reds, under the tutelage of legend Abdallah ‘King’ Kibadeni, maintained their perfect run in pre-season friendlies. Simba played two games in Katavi region thrashing newly-promoted Rhino FC 3-1 in their opening pre-season match before edging out Katavi combined 2-1.
Source Tanzania Daily News
