SIMBA Sports Club’s 2024/2025 campaign has ended without silverware, marking a difficult season for the Msimbazi Street-based side.

The club missed out on all three major competitions: the CAF Confederation Cup, the Mainland Premier League title, and the Federation Cup. Despite the disappointment, club spokesperson Ahmed Ally has come out to encourage fans, emphasizing progress and long-term vision over immediate results.

Simba’s continental dreams were dashed in the CAF Confederation Cup final, where they suffered a 3-1 aggregate defeat to Morocco’s RS Berkane. 

Domestically, their hopes of reclaiming the Premier League title were ended by arch-rivals Young Africans SC (Yanga), who secured a 2-0 win in the decisive final match of the season. To compound the heartbreak, Simba also failed to reach the Federation Cup final after a 3-1 semifinal loss to Singida Black Stars.

Speaking in the aftermath of the season, Ally (pictured) addressed the fans with a message of reassurance, calling for unity and patience as the club continues its rebuilding journey.

 “Let me start by offering my heartfelt apologies to all Simba fans for ending the season without winning a title, especially in the Premier League,” Ally said. “However, we must resist pressure from those who try to convince us that we have completely failed.”

He acknowledged the pain of falling short but emphasized that the club has made significant strides in recent years.

“It’s true we haven’t won a trophy, but we must also recognize the remarkable progress this team has made compared to previous years. That was our main objective to build a competitive team,” he said.

Indeed, Simba made a historic return to the continental stage by reaching the CAF Confederation Cup final, a feat they hadn’t achieved in 31 years. According to Ally, this alone was a major milestone in the club's development.

“We reached the CAF final this season, something we’ve failed to do for over three decades. And when you look at the Premier League race, the title was decided in the final 45 minutes of the last match. That’s how close we were.”

He also pointed to the club’s improved league performance as a sign of progress. 

“This season, we accumulated more points than we have in the past four seasons. Last season, we were fighting for third place. That shows real improvement.”

 Ally was also quick to remind fans that such dry spells are not new to Simba.  “It’s not the first time Simba have gone four seasons without a title. Between 2012 and 2017, we endured five trophy less years. But in 2018, we came back stronger and won the league four years in a row. This is part of football.”

Responding to criticism that Simba has lost five consecutive matches to rivals Young Africans, Ally urged fans not to dwell on it too negatively.

 “Losing five times in a row to our rivals shouldn’t make us undervalue ourselves. Even Real Madrid lost four El Clasico matches to Barcelona by big margins, but you’ll never see their fans turning against their club.”

He cited other global football examples to provide perspective, stating:  “Even Manchester United, with all their history and greatness, are now going into their 13th year without a league title. And I don’t even want to mention Arsenal.”

Ally’s message was clear: Simba’s journey is still ongoing, and the recent disappointments are just part of the growth process. He emphasized that setbacks in football are common even among the world’s elite clubs and they must be used as motivation rather than discouragement.

 “These examples should show us that we are not alone in going through hard times. The light of success is not far from us.”

As the club now turns its focus to the upcoming 2025/2026 season, Ally’s rallying call is for fans to continue supporting the team through thick and thin. With a renewed technical bench led by coach Fadlu Davids and promising plans in the pipeline, Simba remain determined to return stronger and reclaim their place at the summit of Tanzanian and African football.