SIMBA SC ushered in their annual Simba Day festivities in fitting fashion on Wednesday night, easing past Kenyan giants Gor Mahia 2-0 at a packed Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.

But while the victory capped the celebrations, head coach Fadlu Davids struck a note of measured satisfaction, reminding supporters that the real tests lie ahead. Speaking after the match, Davids praised his side’s attacking shape in the first half, where the team debuted a 4-4-2 diamond formation featuring two strikers. 

 “This is the way we want to go this season,” he said. “We have the firepower with Mwalimu, Mukwala, and Sowah. Kibu can also play as a nine. So we have to put the best players together and formulate a good team on the pitch.”

 The South African tactician, however, was quick to stress that Simba’s evolution remains a work in progress. “In terms of our pressing structure, our spaces when defending, our high press, zone two block - we still have to work on it more so everybody is in sync,” Davids noted. 

 “Today we started with five new players, so it was interesting to see how they adapt and cope with 60,000 supporters. I’m happy with the individual performances, but it will take more than that to win big games.” For Davids, the friendly against Gor Mahia was less about the score line and more about fine-tuning combinations. 

 “Today was about information gathering,” he explained. “As a coach, I need to see which players gel together, which complement each other. Of course, to find the right balance of this 4-4-2 diamond for the next game, we’ll now formulate it with the right players to manage.”

 The “next game” he referenced is no ordinary fixture. In less than a week, Simba lock horns with eternal rivals Young Africans (Yanga) in the Community Shield - a curtain-raiser that doubles as the season’s first trophy battle. 

 Davids was under no illusions about the magnitude. “The Yanga match is a one-off. It’s a final, a big match,” he said. “We rest tomorrow and then focus on preparations for Yanga. Then, of course, our focus will go to the Champions League.”

 With continental football around the corner, the coach underscored the importance of sharpening both individual and collective execution. “A lot of analysis we’ll do now - individual meetings, group meetings - to fine-tune the movements, the runs, the spaces, so we can be more fluid in attack and score more goals,” he remarked.