Despite Simba drawing against Yanga in last weekend’s Kariakoo Derby, Simba’s Board Chairman, Crescentius Magori, has said the players signed during the mid-season transfer window have created a new-look team capable of achieving great things this season. Meanwhile, the club’s former coach, Roberto Oliveira ‘Robertinho’, has also highlighted three standout stars.
Simba were away last weekend when they faced Yanga in a Mainland Premier League match played at the New Amaan Complex Stadium in Zanzibar. The game ended in a 0-0 draw, bringing an end to Yanga’s dominance after winning six consecutive Kariakoo Derby matches against Simba across different competitions.
Simba’s strong performance in the match, where they launched numerous attacks and controlled large portions of the game, has raised optimism not only among the club’s leaders but also among its supporters.
Magori said the team showed significant improvement in the match, starting with seven players who were signed during the mid-season transfer window, including six foreign players who proved valuable in such a difficult game.
He explained that the club’s mid-season recruitment had already paid off significantly, even though many of the foreign players were experiencing their first Kariakoo Derby. Despite that, they displayed great quality and posed a serious threat, sending a clear message about their ability.
“The Simba leadership is very pleased with the level of the team we currently have, and I truly believe it will achieve great things this season. At the moment, it feels like we have a new squad because seven new players started the match and still performed well.
“All these players were signed during the mid-season transfer window, and we believe that within a short time we will have an even stronger team. Our fans should prepare to celebrate because even better results are on the way,” Magori was quoted as saying.
During the mid-season transfer window, which opened on January 1, 2026 and closed on January 30, 2026, Simba signed eight players. Two are local players — Nickson Kibabage and Baraka Mwangosi — while the international signings include Clatous Chama, Djibrilla Kassali, Libasse Gueye, Ismaila Toure, Inno Loemba and Anicet Oura. Among them, those who started in the derby were Kibabage, Chama, Kassali, Gueye, Toure, Loemba and Oura.
