Photo Courtesy Simba SC Media.
Tanzania legend Abdallah Kibadeni believes Simba SC will be affected psychologically playing without fans in their final Group A fixture of the CAF Confederation Cup on Sunday.
The Tanzanian Premier League outfit will face Algeria’s CS Constantine behind closed doors following the decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to impose a ban on them and a fine. This happened because of the crowd trouble witnessed during their fixture against CS Sfaxien at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.
“Simba’s international matches at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium usually draw packed stands and playing without fans will likely affect the players psychologically,” Kibadeni said as quoted by Daily News.
Kibadeni, however, took issues with the fans for causing violence by saying: “Violence and vandalism reverse efforts to attract diverse audiences, including women, children and elders, who are likely to shy away from stadiums due to safety concerns.”
Meanwhile, Edgar Fongo criticised Simba and Young Africans (Yanga SC) for failing to condemn unruly behaviour among their supporters.
“Our big clubs often fear their fans, which prevents them from addressing unacceptable behaviour,” Fongo said. “You rarely hear Simba or Yanga management rebuking their fans, yet these incidents tarnish Tanzania’s image.”
He added: “Even though Simba have already qualified, the absence of fans affects players’ fighting spirit and makes them feel like they are playing away.”
Simba have already qualified with a match to spare and will be fighting for the top spot in the group against the Algerian side.
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