GU hunt Simba in lion’s den
Kabelo Boranabi | Friday September 26, 2025 08:30
The local side has a slight advantage as it will be playing before empty stands. Fans are barred from the ever-rocking Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, and GU will face the Simba pack without the 12th man.
The Reds know they face a monumental task against a side with pedigree and a fortress of a home stadium, but assistant coach and goalkeeper coach Khalid Ninyonzima insists the mood in camp is far from defeated.
“I think the way I understand the culture of Tanzanian football, Simba are a well-known team, a team with big, huge support, with another extra player for them. I think (without fans) it can work on our side,” Ninyonzima told MmegiSport.
“Football is those 11 players against 11 players who will be ready to give their all. With a tactical approach, we believe it can work for us since we know that we push for the support. I think it will work, I think positively.”
The Reds trail 1-0 after the first leg played at the Obed Itani Chilume in Francistown, but the tie is still finely balanced. Ninyonzima insists his side showed enough promise to keep the dream alive despite failing to find the net.
“The mid-zone, the attacking zone, the entry was good, positive, but we were not effective,” Ninyonzima reflected after the first leg defeat.
“When you talk about penetration, it was not effective; it was not there because we were supposed to score, (and) we did not score. We managed to enter the box, we managed to enter the defensive zone, so now it’s about how we're going to make sure we get composure. Our players were more hurried in terms of shooting. There were times when they were supposed to shoot, (but) they did not. Those are combinations we have to work on. I think we will do that because the boys are capable of doing it.'
It is a message of confidence, not a complaint from the Reds' camp. GU believe that correcting their decision-making in the final third can tilt the balance against Simba, who despite their stature, are not unbeatable.
In fact, Simba fans know the taste of humiliation at this very stage. Just a couple of seasons ago, Jwaneng Galaxy stunned the continent by overturning a deficit at the Benjamin Mkapa to dump Simba out of the Champions League.
Before that, Township Rollers pulled off their own famous act against Young Africans (Yanga), clawing back to advance in CAF competition. Those memories are now GU’s fuel, proof that Botswana clubs can stare down Tanzanian giants and walk away triumphant.
Simba, however, are not standing still. In a dramatic twist, the club announced this week that Hemed 'Morocco' Suleiman will take over as interim head coach, following the departure of Fadlu Davids to Moroccan giants Raja Club Athletic.
Suleiman, who is also head coach of the Taifa Stars, steps into a pressure cooker environment where fans want nothing less than progress to the group stages. His debut on the Simba bench will be Sunday’s clash against GU.
For the Reds, Simba’s sudden shake-up could be both a distraction and an opportunity. A new coach often brings new energy, but it can also create uncertainty. GU will look to test that instability, pressing for an early goal that could completely swing the momentum of the tie.
The Tanzanian giants will be playing only their fourth competitive game this season after the Super Cup defeat, the GU win, and the league opener played on Thursday.
The winner of this showdown will progress to face either Zimbabwean debutants Simba Bhora or Eswatini’s Nsingizini Hotspurs in the next round.
It is a path that offers real possibility with no North African powerhouse yet, but a chance to dream of the lucrative group stages.
GU jetted out of Gaborone on Thursday, giving themselves a few days to settle into Dar es Salaam’s climate. The local football team has written this story before.
The Reds now have the pen in their hands and on Sunday night, under the lights of Dar es Salaam, they will try to script another unforgettable chapter. Kickoff is at 9pm (Botswana time).