The Belgian tactician maintains the Jangwani giants must beat their Msimbazi rivals to stand a chance of winning the title
Former Yanga SC coach Luc Eymael has stated the club should forget about winning the Mainland Premier League title if they suffer defeat against rivals Simba SC in the Kariakoo derby on Saturday.
The Msimbazi giants will host their Jangwani rivals at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium for their second meeting this campaign, and are sitting at the top of the 18-team table with a four-point gap and a win will see them move seven points clear.
It is the reason the Belgian tactician, who was the last coach to lead Yanga to a win against Simba in the 2019-20 season, has maintained Simba will retain the title if they win the derby.
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“If Simba comes on top the derby against Yanga on Saturday, then the title is for Simba,” Eymael told Goal on Monday.
“Already now with the games in hand, Simba have 70 percent chances of being crowned champions despite at one moment of the league Yanga had a nine-point advantage over Simba with the same number of games, the only hope for Yanga to stay in the battle for the title is to beat Simba.
“If Simba wins their two games in hand, then they will be 10 points in front of Yanga, and if Yanga loses the derby, they will have to pay attention for the second position on the log.”
Eymael has further said after the derby Yanga will have to play three matches away from home which will not be easy for them.
“After the derby, Yanga will play three games away and they are not easy matches,” Eymael continued.
“I don’t want to give any prediction on how the game will end but what I have to stress, it is a must-win fixture for Yanga.”
During the first meeting, Simba needed an 86th-minute goal from Kenya defender Joash Onyango to snatch a late draw after Yanga had taken a deserved lead through a penalty converted by striker Michael Sarpong in the 25th minute.
Simba are topping the table on 61 points from 25 matches, four more than second-placed Yanga, who have 57 points from 27 matches while Azam FC are third on 54 points from 28 matches.
