As Simba continues preparations for the upcoming season in Ismailia, Egypt, the arrival of new stars has begun to create a buzz in camp, with each player working hard to quickly catch the attention of the team’s technical bench.
Simba, training for next season’s domestic and continental competitions, has secluded itself in a quiet location to focus on its work, with various activities energizing the atmosphere in this North African nation.
However, it is during these preparations that the team’s head coach, Fadlu Davids, has expressed his delight with the progress of new signings, including Jonathan Sowah, signed from Singida Black Stars, and Allasane Kante, who joined from CA Bizertin of Tunisia.
Fadlu, who guided Simba to a second-place finish in the league behind Yanga and reached the CAF Confederation Cup final last season, has started to see positive signs from the new players after only a short period of training.
“I expected them to take longer to adapt to our system, but I’ve been pleased to see that within a few days they already know what they need to do,” said Fadlu, adding that communication on the pitch has been better than he anticipated.
In addition to Kante and Sowah, the coach mentioned Morice Abraham, who began training with the squad at the end of last season, and South African international defender Rushine De Reuck.
However, Fadlu admitted that the situation is different for striker Mohamed Bajaber, who is still building his fitness after recovering from injury. Bajaber joined Simba from Kenyan Premier League champions Police FC.
“Bajaber has great determination, but he still needs to be patient. We are building him step by step,” he added.
Kante, a defensive midfielder from CA Bizertin of Tunisia, has been a standout in training thanks to his strong tackling and quick forward passes.
“Kante is a true fighter. I believe he will bring something different,” said Fadlu.
Regarding Sowah, the Ghanaian striker, Fadlu said he is impressed with his off-the-ball movement and finishing ability.
“Sowah has a nose for goal. He makes runs into spaces that most defenders don’t expect,” the coach emphasized.
Fadlu said one of the reasons for choosing Egypt for the training camp was to ensure players have time to bond without the pressure of fans or the distractions of home.
“Here we have the chance to build a family within the squad. The players live together, eat together, and do everything as one team,” he said.
According to reports from inside the camp, Simba is highly likely to play its first friendly match next week against one of the Egyptian Premier League teams, giving Fadlu the opportunity to test his new stars.
Currently, the new players introduced by Simba are Kante, De Reuck, Morice, Hussein Daudi Semfuko, Sowah, Bajaber, and Anthony Mligo.
