Tanzania’s finest on display in Kariakoo Derby |

Tanzania’s finest talents will be on display when Young Africans clash with bitter rivals Simba in the Kariakoo Derby on Sunday [16h00 EAT] at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.

The FARPost team in Dar es Salaam looks at some of the players to watch as the two East African giants lock horns.

YOUNG AFRICANS

Fiston Mayele

After scoring against Azam last season, Paschal Kabombe, Azam TV’s commentator, named him ‘Le Roi De la Foret’, a French phrase meaning the King of the Forest. Mayele has been instrumental for Young Africans since joining them from AS Vita in August 2021. The man came to deliver goals and hasn’t disappointed since joining the green and yellow. 

The Congolese forward is an outright striker, able to play various roles upfront. When on song, he is your fox in the box. On a day he decides to drop his shoulders to do link-ups for the team, he is equally dangerous. 

Of course, the 28-year-old still needs to work on being clinical. He features in his sixth derby this weekend, having scored three goals in five Kariakoo Derby games, including a brace in the Community Shield this season. 

Will he do his ‘Kutetema’ [shaking] celebration on Sunday, which has thrown Dar es Salaam into a frenzy?

Stephane Aziz Ki

He was groomed in the right places of football [Rayo Vallecano – Spain]. It’s a pity that he is playing back in Africa at his age, but it is what it is. The Burkinabe is the record signing of the season in the NBC Premier League. 

He joined the Citizens during the elections at the club, and journalists claimed the Burkina Faso star was Engineer Hersi Ally Said’s campaign signing.

He was no stranger to Tanzanians as locals knew him through the CAF Confederation Cup while turning out for Asec Mimosas. They came to the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium to play against Simba in the 2021/22 group stages, and ever since then, the league’s diehards wanted to see him play in Tanzania. 

Ki is a good playmaker who can offer goals too. As his name ‘Ki’ suggests, he can unlock defences. Or better still, create key passes that break defensive lines and leave opponents vulnerable.

The 26-year-old can pack a shot from afar. However, he is one player most pundits believe has brought an imbalance in the Yanga squad.

His arrival saw Feisal Salum and Yanick Bangala switched to different roles, and there’s been much criticism around him lately. But what makes him unique is his assist to Fiston Mayele on his first Kariakoo Derby game. Will he do his magic again on Sunday afternoon?

Feisal Salum

Zanzibar is famously known for tourism and producing cloves, but grooming ‘Fei Toto’ can be the most valuable activity from the islanders to Young Africans. The boy is a baller and a maestro in midfield. He is a modern playmaker, versatile and intelligent but physical enough to stand up for himself in a challenging situation, given his willingness to press.

Good ball striking technique and solid ability in the air make him an obvious goal threat as well. Feisal is a true impact player. While he can fade in and out of games, he can also produce extraordinary game-changing moments. A good term to describe this would be a ‘highlights player’.

Peter Otai made English commentary in his goal against the Msimbazi Reds in the FA semifinal and named the ‘Thunderbolt Beauty’. The biggest team mistake is giving him space in zone 14. He’s a great shooter and can punish anyone when allowed to do so.

SIMBA SC

Moses Phiri

A new product in the NBC Premier League shop, whose demand and value have been steadily increasing since joining Simba. His signing wasn’t received with pomp and fanfare, but the Zambian has quickly turned into the best player in the league. 

The 29-year-old can play across the entire frontline – on either flank or through the middle. He can take on defenders and create an advantage for the team. He can do it all with his left or right foot or head. He scored a couple of stunners in his spell, four goals in five league games for the Msimbazi Reds.

He is playing his second Kariakoo Derby with Simba. His famous celebration style is taking a salute after scoring, which has led to the birth of the nickname “The General”.

Augustine Okrah

The Magician ‘Okrah Magic’. A 5 feet, pacy and skilful winger operating at the flanks. The 29-year-old is any defender’s nightmare. He terrorises opponents with his speed. You always feel troubled playing against him. 

Derbies are nothing new to the Ghanaian. He has featured in big derbies in Africa. Back in Ghana, he has played in The Super Clash [Asante Kotoko Vs Hearts Of Oak] and the Omdurman Derby during his spell at Al Hilal of Sudan. 

Okrah is very agile, can do take-ons and has a lot of pace. He can also shoot from afar. Back in Ghana at Bechem United, he scored stunners from 35 meters. Additionally, he takes all the left-side set pieces and has scored once through a foul against the Geita Gold in the league.

Clastous Chota Chama

Oriol Tort Martinez, Pep Guardiola’s first coach, told Johan Cruyff, the seniors’ side coach, that there’s a kid who has a ‘head of the game’, everything is timely done him on the pitch, this is what you can say of ‘Triple C’.

He possesses a high-level footballing IQ and the technical quality to execute the moves he has in mind, helping him compensate for his physical limitations. He loves to roam freely in advanced positions looking for pockets of space between the lines.

His excellent first touch is the bedrock of his game. It affords him the time to seek out direct passes into attacking areas, especially on the break, as he looks to play the killer pass at every opportunity. Chama’s composure is out of this world.

Additional reporting by Salum Pelembo, a Sports Analyst at Magic FM and Channel 10 in Tanzania.

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