Vandenbroeck: What makes Simba SC the best team in Tanzania

Simba SC coach Sven Vandenbroeck has explained the reason his players easily cruised to another Mainland Premier League title on Sunday.

The Wekundu wa Mzimbazi were crowned champions for the third straight season despite securing a 0-0 draw against Tanzania Prisons at Sokoine Stadium in Mbeya City.

Simba were in need of a draw to win the title after the then second-placed Azam FC dropped points against Biashara United in a 1-1 draw on Saturday.

Vandenbroeck, who clinched his first league diadem since joining the giants at the start of the season, has now revealed most of his players are dedicated to the course and always use their brains when playing in matches hence the reason they emerged winners again.

“I think I have the best team in Tanzania because in my squad, all the players want to score goals and also defend and it has pushed us to the title,” Vandenbroeck told Goal.

“All my players play as a unit, they push for one agenda and it has always become very easy to win matches, for example, if you look at my captain [John Bocco], he is a striker but sometimes you will find him defending when we are under attack.

“My players use brain football, and it is difficult to counter such players, they play as a unit and at the same time playing using the brain, and they always work together, if one player moves from his position, there is always another player to cover for him.”

Vandenbroeck also took his time to thank the club fans for always rallying behind the team in difficult and good times.

“The fans have also played a huge role to give us the title, they have never given up, they have never disappointed us, they follow us whenever we go to support us and that is why we also push ourselves to do well for them,” Vandenbroeck continued.

Vandenbroeck will be expected to perform better than his predecessor Patrick Aussems who got knocked out from the preliminary stage by UD Songo of Mozambique in Dar es Salaam.

The league victory underlines Simba and Yanga's dominance in the Tanzanian competition in the last decade since the two arch-rivals and Azam FC in one attempt, have bagged the title alone.

Simba's three successful consecutive campaigns, in the 2017/18, 2018/19 and in the 2019/20 seasons has matched Yanga's record achieved in the 2014/15, 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons.

It is the second time Simba have been champions in three straight campaigns as the same fete was achieved from 1993 to 1995 and apart from Yanga and Simba, no other Tanzanian club has managed to win the league gong and defend it in three or more consecutive seasons.