Mashujaa used ‘dark arts’ says Simba SC’s Davids – Ligi Kuu Bara

Photo Credit – Simba SC Tanzania.

Simba SC head coach Fadlu Davids has blasted Mashujaa for deploying time-wasting antics despite his side recovering to beat them 2-1 at KMC Stadium in the Mainland Premier League on Friday.

Arriving in strong form, having qualified for their first-ever CAF Confederation Cup after eliminating Stellenbosch of South Africa in the semi-finals, the Msimbazi Reds found themselves trailing in the sixth minute, when Japhary Salum Kibaya put the visitors ahead.

Mashujaa still led 1-0 at half-time. In the second period, Simba produced a late comeback to bag maximum points.

Leonel Ateba converted a 66th-minute penalty to restore parity, before the Cameroonian forward dispatched from the spot again to seal their victory in stoppage time.

“I knew in first half, it was one lapse of concentration and we gave them a goal, but we did well afterwards. We played well, we created chances, we created moments and of course, to be 1-0 down, they create the momentum of the game. [Their] goalkeeper going down, wasting time, not allowing us to get into the rhythm,” Davids told Pan-Africa Football.

“But of course, we had a much better second half, where we really put them under pressure, but also well done to Mashujaa, breaking the moment and wasting time. I want to say to them: well done for using the dark arts of football. But it is OK, they have to do what they have to do, and we have to rise above everything to win our games.

“We know Mashujaa is a big bonus falling from the sky, and we have to rise above such things to win points. Like I said, it is 12 points we are fighting for, and now we have nine to go. We play a match every two days, so we have to be ready.

“Hopefully we get Ladack [Chasambi] back, hopefully we get Fabrice Ngoma back, and hopefully we get Jean Charles Ahoua back just to refresh the squad because we have very intense matches coming up. We just came from South Africa, and now coming straight to a match, and playing over 90 minutes because of the time wasting.

“Now it is about recovery and getting the boys ready for the next game, which is going to be a very tough one against JKT Tanzania. When we prepare for these types of matches, we clearly tell them that games in hand doesn’t mean that it is points. We have to fight for the points, and that is what the players did, they fought right up until the end, and we won the game.”

The win enabled Simba to move to 60 points in second place, ten fewer than leaders Young Africans (Yanga SC), who have garnered 70.