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‘BIRDS’ CAF RIVALS IN BIG BULLETS FRIENDLY

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MBABANE – Tanzania’s Simba Stars are not taking their 2018 TOTAL CAF Champions League rivals Mbabane Swallows lightly.


Their aim is to emulate their appearance in 1993, where they brushed aside Mozambican opposition and went all the way to reach the final. They have not been part of this tournament in the past five editions but return to face Swallows at home on November 28 in the first leg before the second leg two weeks later.


Tanzania’s SOKA magazine reported yesterday that the champions, in a bid to sharpen their charges before the big boys’ tournament kicks off, the coach Patrick Aussems has lined up a friendly against Malawi side Nyasa Big Bullets for this afternoon.


tough


Kick-off is at 6pm in Tanzania. Big Bullets are the side that also got a tough draw against Gor Mahia FC in the preliminary rounds of the Champions League. The friendly for Simba comes at the back of a recent 1-0 triumph over local rivals Azam FC in a friendly match.
Interestingly, Gor Mahia had reportedly just jetted in from Liverpool in England for a friendly with Everton, which they lost 4-0 but had also taken several new signings, all locally-based.


Swallows, on the other hand, had been busy with the MTN Premier League, their last game being the 3-0 win over struggling Matsapha United last Sunday. It remains to be seen if they will engage in any preparatory friendly.


The red and white ensemble has been looked down upon, as Simba Stars’ Head of Information and Communications Haji Manara, through his Instagram page, said the Msimbazi Reds (Simba Stars) were looking forward to seeing off Swallows and move all the way to the final.


“Bring them on, this time we are ready because we have the best squad,” said Manara. According to the CAF fixtures, Simba will meet Swallows in a two-legged match, with the first leg in Dar es Salaam to be held next week at the National Stadium and the return leg a fortnight later, on December 4 or 5 at Mavuso Sports Centre.


training


Swallows are also hard at training at the Prince of Wales Ground but coach Thabo ‘Koki’ Vilakati was expected to submit his plans for the campaign to management early this week. However, it still could not be revealed by yesterday.


However, insiders said the club could cross the borders tomorrow for a friendly match in South Africa, Mpumalanga but the opposition was yet to be confirmed. The recently-finished inter-club tournament was won by Esperance after they pulled off a remarkable turnaround to win the CAF Champions League and book their place in the FIFA Club World Cup in the UAE next month.


The Tunisian club, seeking a third continental crown, overcame a 3-1 deficit from the first leg against Al Ahly, defeating the Egyptian giants 3-0 at the Stade Olympique de Rades last Friday to secure a 4-3 aggregate victory.

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