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Caf Champions League: How Simba should not underrate AS Vita because of previous victory - Manula
Wekundu wa Msimbazi won the game away from home but the goalkeeper has cautioned his fellow stars to be wary of the opponents
Simba SC goalkeeper Aishi Manula has warned his teammates from underrating AS Vita during a Champions League Group A game on Saturday.
Wekundu wa Msimbazi won the initial game 1-0 in Kinshasa and Manula has stated that should not give Simbas more confidence to the point of underrating the rivals.
"AS Vita are a big club and are known in the continent for what they have achieved. At this stage, there is never a small team or a big opponent one must always prepare hard for any upcoming match," Manula told the club's portal.
"We cannot say that we defeated them last time out, we will easily win at home. That should not be the case at all.
"We must fight hard to pick another win because if they fall on their own turf it means we can also be defeated at home. We must come up with a proper strategy that will give us a win and book a slot in the quarter-finals."
The Premier League winner further explained why the continental competition will always require top-notch preparations despite the kind of opponent to face.
"Champions League is a competition that deserves different preparations and approaches which one must get right every time. That will help a team compete with any rival regardless of their stature," the Taifa Stars custodian added.
"Champions League is also a competition that does not rely on home or away advantage at all. One has to get his things right regardless of whether he is at home or away."
Caf has not communicated whether Simba will be allowed to have fans during the match but during the Al Ahly game, the Wekundu wa Msimbazi supporters were not allowed in the stadium.
"We still need our fans although, we played without them in the last game we felt their support since they were outside the stadium where they keenly followed the proceedings," Manula said in regards to the importance of having supporters.
"We are happy that Tanzanians and Simba fans are keeping their support for the team even though they are physically away. As players, we have to appreciate the effort the fans are putting."
Simba, who are leading the group with 10 points, will book a quarter-final slot should they defeat the DR Congo side in Dar es Salaam on Saturday at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.
