Why Yanga-Simba match is more than a derby

Dar es Salaam. All roads will Saturday on April 20, 2024 lead to the 60,000-seater Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, where Young Africans (Yanga) will take on their traditional rivals, Simba SC, in the ongoing Mainland Tanzania Premier League.

It will be their 112th meeting in the league since 1965. Of the 112 matches played, Yanga registered 39 wins over Simba’s 32 and 40 draws.

Yanga also scored 118 goals against Simba’s 104 in their head-to-head. The Jangwani Street lads recorded 157 points against Simba’s 136.

So far, a lot has been said about the match with fans of the two teams bragging about their teams’ prowess.

Yanga fans are taking pride in their records against Simba, who have recently been eliminated from the CRDB Federation Cup that produces the team to represent the country in the CAF Confederation Cup.

Aside from that, Yanga fans are proud of their 5-1 victory posted on November 5, 2023, and the top form they showed in the CAF Champions League, especially in their matches against Mamelodi Sundowns.

Yanga are now at the top of the league standings with 55 points, nine adrift of Simba, who are placed third with 46 points. Azam FC are second with 50 points from the 22 matches they have played.

Young Africans go into the match in a bullish mood with their 100 percent win record, while on the other hand, Simba have made a swift recovery after a 1-1 draw against Ihefu FC as before the team lost 6-5 on penalties to Mashujaa FC in the CRDB Federation Cup.

It is a derby because it involves two old teams from the same city, provides little or no room for errors by the players of either side and pulls a huge crowd of supporters and fans from across the country and from across the East African region. It is also a showdown dubbed the “Kariakoo derby” that will surely be nail biting.

This is the highlight fixture of the season that every local football fan looks forward to.

And to give the much-anticipated derby the visibility it deserves, it will be the only league match of the weekend and will be beamed live by Azam TV.

Yanga and Simba are currently in camps at Kigamboni and in Zanzibar respectively, expecting to sell Tanzania’s brand of attractive football to millions of football enthusiasts across the East African region.

Colourful and controversial are the twin words that best describe the history of the derby.

Sometimes there are claims of witchcraft; sometimes there is violence; but most of the time it is pure football enjoyment.

For any football fan attending the “Kariakioo derby”, they will likely witness fun and family-friendly carnivals at which rival fans mingle freely.

The biggest competition sometimes appears to be over who wears the craziest fancy dress.

Both Yanga and Simba can’t afford to lose to each other because there are bragging rights and a lot of pride at stake, this is what drives both teams whenever they come against each other.

 Before the derby, training must be getting different as players will likely redouble efforts in order to be included in the lineups.

In the stands, a sea of Yanga supporters in yellow and green, and Simba’s fans in red and white, will try to outshine each other with the most bizarre spectator attire.

The camaraderie among opposing fans may come as a surprise to outsiders, but the on-field rivalry is real.

Both teams are fighting for the Mainland Premier League title and a ticket for the CAF Champions League next year – and a derby victory that counts above all others.

Why it is more than a derby

Simba, who are nine points behind Yanga, will need victory to close the point gap and revive their hopes of winning the title this season.

 If the Msimbazi Street giants lose the encounter, it will leave them uncertain about clincing the title or finishing in the second position this season.

This is because if Yanga win the encounter, they will have an 85 percent chance to win the title for the third time in a row.

Azam FC, on the other hand, will be fighting for the second position against Simba and according to the fixture, the teams will meet in their return leg.

As per the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) regulations, the winners of the Mainland Premier League title and the runners-up will directly qualify for the CAF Champions League while the third-placed team and the winners of the CRDB Federation Cup will represent the country in the CAF Confederation Cup.

As per the current situation, Yanga and Azam FC have the chance of winning the CRDB Federation Cup while Simba have none after being kicked out of the tournament.

Simba’s only chance of representing the country in the CAF competitions lies with winning the Mainland Premier League title, finishing second, or third.

So, Saturday’s encounter pitting Yanga and Simba is a must-win for either teams.

This is to say, three points are very crucial and that makes it more than the current “traditional rivals” as both teams will have to focus on victory.

The match has implications for the title race in the league they are competing in.

The teams are contenders for the championship; the match becomes crucial in determining the eventual winner.

The encounter could be part of the CAF competitions’ deciders where progression to the next round is at stake.

There is historic significance attached to this particular encounter, especially the past matches that intensify the rivalry between the two clubs.

There is off-field drama or controversies involving players, managers, or administrators from both clubs, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the match.

The match is expected to draw an exceptionally large crowd or receive significant attention from fans and the media, amplifying its importance beyond just the sporting rivalry.