NEWLY-crowned Mainland champions Simba hold the hopes of millions of Tanzanians as they host Zimbabwe's Lengthens in the Orange Confederation Cup first round, return leg match at the Uhuru Stadium in the city this weekend.
The Msimbazi Reds, as Simba are fondly referred to, are the only Tanzanian club still in contention following the elimination of Young Africans, Mafunzo and Miembeni from the continent's two major club competitions -- the Orange CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup.
Yanga and Mafunzo were knocked out by St. Eloi Lupopo of DR Congo and Gunners FC of Zimbabwe in the Champions League respectively while Miembeni were sent packing by Egypt's Petrojet in the Confederation Cup.
Buoyant with an impressive 3-0 away win in Harare, Simba have proved that they have enough fighting spirit to make their presence felt in the tournament.
The victory has brightened Simba’s chances of making it to the last 16 of the tournament as they only need a draw of any kind to make it through to the next round of the continental second tier club championship.
Lengthens, who are making their first appearance in the continental club championship, obviously have a mountain to climb as they need to win four clear goals to see off Simba and secure ticket to the last 16.
But they say that in football anything can happen and Simba must, therefore, be cautious in the return leg match.
Coach Patrick Phiri has acknowledged that Lenthens are a good team.
“They play well although we're just too good for them. I told my players not to underestimate the Zimbabweans,” the Zambian tactician said last week.
Although none of the local teams has ever won the top honour in any continental competition, records
seem to speak loudly for Simba.
In 1993 Simba came close to clinching the CAF Cup -- an old version of the Confederation Cup -- the highest level of success for them so far.
Simba, then coached by former international Abdallah Kibaden, made it into the final, only to find Stella Abidjan of Ivory Coast too hot to handle.
Kibaden's lads seemed destined for the title when they forced the West African team to a barren draw in a first leg tie in Abidjan.
Their hopes to emerge the 1993 CAF Cup champions, however, went up in slim smoke two weeks later, as, against all predictions, they lost 2-0 to Stella Abidjan at home under controversial circumstances.
Simba had previously reached the semi-finals of the African Clubs Championship – predecessor of the current CAF Champions League -- only to be eliminated by Mehalla el-Kubra of Egypt in Cairo in 1974.
Another chance came their way in 2003 when they cruised into the Last Eight of the African Champions League at the expense of title holders Zamalek of Egypt, who they stunned 3-2 on penalties in a second round, return leg match in Cairo.
Simba, who had to come through the preliminary round, held a 1-0 lead from the first leg in Dar es Salaam, and kept the Egyptians at bay until in the 20th minute when Abdel-Halim Ali evened the aggregate score.
The Egyptian giants could not grab a second, forcing the nail-biting match to penalties, in which Simba, then under the tutelage of Kenyan James Siang'a, stole the show.
It was one of the biggest upsets in the history of the Champions League, the continent's greatest club championship.
But to the disappointment of their fans, Siang'a's team failed to make an impact in the quarters, breaking the hearts of their supporters again.
With a good start this time around, coupled with their impressive show in the Vodacom Premier League, there is no doubt that determination and optimism prevail in the Msimbazi Reds' camps to end what has come to be perceived as an embarrassing jinx.