Simba To Play Sevilla In Landmark May 23 Showdown In Tanzania-TFF
30th April 2019
SportPesa Cup bronze winners get the nod to take on five-time UEFA Europa League champions at National Main Stadium glamour clash
- The landmark trip of the Spanish La Liga giants to Tanzania was first announced on April 17 with domestic champions, Simba or arch rivals Yanga SC penned as the clubs who would get the big opportunity to face the Andalucian side
- The 19-time domestic title winners beat fellow Tanzanian Premier League side Mbao FC 5-3 on post-match penalties on January 27 in the third-place play-off of the 2019 SportPesa Cup after the teams shared a barren draw in regulation time
- Sevilla will become the first Spanish team and second ever-European team to visit Tanzania under SportPesa
DAR-ES-SALAAM, Tanzania- SportPesa Cup bronze winners, Simba SC will play five-time UEFA Europa League champions Sevilla FC in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania on May 23, the country’s football federation declared on Tuesday.
The landmark trip of the Spanish La Liga giants to Tanzania was first announced on April 17 with domestic champions, Simba or arch rivals Yanga SC penned as the clubs who would get the big opportunity to face the Andalucian side.
At a press conference in Dar, Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) confirmed it is the Wekundu wa Msimbazi (Msimbazi Reds) would indeed play the visiting European side.
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“Simba have been granted that chance because they finished third in the previous edition of SportPesa Cup over any other Tanzanian team,” TFF added.
The 19-time domestic title winners beat fellow Tanzanian Premier League side Mbao FC 5-3 on post-match penalties on January 27 in the third-place play-off of the 2019 SportPesa Cup after the teams shared a barren draw in regulation time.
Yanga on the other hand were stunned 3-2 by eventual tournament champions, Kariobangi Sharks FC in the quarterfinals of the eight-team regional invitational knock out affair hosted in Tanzania for the second time since the 2017 inaugural edition.
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Groundbreaking tour
The groundbreaking Sevilla tour of East Africa has been made possible by the partnership between La Liga and the technology and entertainment business, SportPesa.
“SportPesa is very excited to land Spanish outfit, Sevilla Football Club in Dar-es-Salaam in collaboration with La Liga,” SportPesa Tanzania Director of Administration and Compliance, Tarimba Abbas remarked.
The Simba will play Sevilla in the clash dubbed ‘La Liga World SportPesa Challenge’ at the Cathedral of Tanzanian football, the 60,000-seater National Main Stadium.
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The visit will also see Sevilla’s first-team stars like Jesus Navas, Wissam Ben Yedder, Andre Silva and Pablo Sarabia among others, visiting tourist destinations, taking part in football clinics, Corporate Social Responsibility activities and capacity building seminars.
The historical visit was made public during a press conference on April 17 in Dodoma, graced by the Minister of Tourism and Natural Resources, Hamis Kigwangala, the Deputy Minister of Information, Culture, Art and Sports, Juliana Shonza and Abbas.
Sevilla's Spanish midfielder Pablo Sarabia (R) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the Spanish league football match between Sevilla FC and Real Betis at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in Sevilla on April 13, 2019. PHOTO/AFP
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Simba have proven to be the team to beat at the National Stadium this season having played six CAF Champions League games without losing.
The red and white army outclassed Mbabane Swallows (Swaziland), Nkana FC (Zambia), JS Soura (Algeria), Al Ahly (Egypt) and the most famous victory against Congolese outfit, AS Vita, which earned them a quarterfinal slot in the premier African club competition.
Losing finalists
The 2018 SportPesa Cup losing finalists then drew 0-0 with Congolese titans TP Mazembe in the first leg of their first leg tie at a packed National Stadium before bowing out of the competition when they fell 1-4 in Lubumbashi on April 13.
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The tour is expected to promote Tanzania as one of the most reliable and exciting pre-season tour destinations for European teams with local football stakeholders such as administrators, coaches, players and journalists also set to benefit.
The visit will further open doors for international tourists to visit renowned tourism destinations and learn Tanzanian bespoke culture.
Sevilla will become the first Spanish team and second ever-European team to visit Tanzania under SportPesa.
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English Premier League side Everton was the first team to do so back in 2017 where football fans in Tanzania saw England great Wayne Rooney playing his first match for his childhood club after 13 years.
Sharks will host Everton in Nairobi in due course as the main prize for winning the third edition of the Super Cup where they edged fellow SportPesa Premier League side Bandari FC 1-0 in the January 27 final. Bandari had earlier knocked out Simba in the semis 2-1.