Mazembe continue the defence of their Champions League title against Djoliba

Reigning champions TP Mazembe of DR Congo are one of 16 sides battling to reach the group stages of the African Champions League.

The big-spending Congolese side continue their defence with a first leg game away at Mail’s Djoliba, who have never progressed beyond the third round.

The Malian side have scored just twice in four Champions League games this year and have conceded just one goal.

Mazembe should prove too strong for Djoliba over the two legs, but the likely mid-year transfer of captain and consistent scorer Tresor Mputu Mabi to a European club may weaken their challenge.

SuperSport United take on Nigerian visitors Heartland as they try to boost the image of South Africa in the African Champions League.

Orlando Pirates are the only South African side to have won the continent’s top club competition and they made a shock first round exit this year.

But SuperSport will have to do without goalkeeper Emile Baron, defenders Morgan Gould and David Kannemeyer and striker Glen Salmon through injury.

They are also missing Bongani Khumalo, who is with the national squad on a pre-World Cup training camp in Germany.

Early exits from the domestic League Cup and FA Cup competitions have not helped the club’s morale, nor have media reports linking their coach Gavin Hunt to big-spending Pretoria neighbours Mamelodi Sundowns.

Hunt longs for African success after an unexpected second round loss to KCC of Uganda last year.

Heartland, who are the sole Nigerian challengers after the surprise early elimination of Bayelsa United, suffered the heartbreak of losing the final last year to TP Mazembe on the away-goals rule in the DR Congo.

Six time African Champions Al Ahly of Egypt are without injured striker Emad Moteab as they travel to play Al Ittihad in Libya while compatriots Ismailia confront Al Hilal of Sudan in Omdurman.

Both Algerian challengers are former title holders and they enjoy home advantage first with JS Kabylie meeting Petro Atletico of Angola while Entente Setif play Zanaco of Zambia.

Fixtures between high scorers Esperance of Tunisia and Al Merreikh of Sudan in Tunis and 1998 runners-up Dynamos of Zimbabwe and Botswana’s Gaborone United in Harare complete the line-up.

MSHAMBULIAJI wa kimataifa wa Tanzania na klabu ya Simba, Mussa Hassan Mgosi amesema tatizo kubwa kwa wachezaji wa Tanzania kucheza soka ya kulipwa ni mawakala.

Kwa muda sasa,wachezaji wengi wa Tanzania wamekuwa wakitamani kucheza soka ya kulipwa Ulaya na sehemu nyingine duniani, lakini wameshindwa kufanikiwa kwa kukosa mawakala wa uhakika wa kutafutia timu wachezaji.

“Mawakala wetu wao hawana uhusiano wa moja kwa moja na klabu za sehemu mbalimbali badala yake wamekuwa wakiongea na mawakala wengine ili kuwahunganishia kwa timu hivyo inakuwa vigumu kidogo kwetu kupenya,” alieleza Mgosi

Aliongeza Mgosi kuwa hata hivyo idadi ya mawakala walioko Tanzania ni wachache sana kwa hiyo inakuwa vigumu kwao kumchukua kila mchezaji na kwenda kumtafutia timu ya kufanya majaribio.

Kinara huyo wa ufungaji wa Simba msimu huu alisema yeye bado ana nia ya kucheza soka nje ya nchi sehemu yoyote ile iwe Uganda, Kenya, Ulaya hata DR Congo.

“Kwa sasa kikubwa kwangu ni fedha endapo nitapata timu sehemu yoyote ambayo itanilipa vizuri nipo tayari kwenda nahitaji kukuawa kikosa zaidi, lakini tatizo ndio hilo la mawakala.”

“Siku hizi soka mtu anacheza sehemu yoyote kwa kuangalia maslahi yako, mpira ndio maisha yangu nahitaji kupata fedha zaidi kwa sasa nilikiwa na nguvu zangu,” alisema Mgosi mshambuliaji huyo mfupi na mwenye kasi.

Mgosi ambaye alikuwa hapa na timu kwa mechi ya Kombe la Shirikisho la Soka Afrika (CAF) hakusita kuonyesha hisia zake katika mchezo ujao wa timu ya Taifa, Taifa Stars dhidi ya Somalia unaotarajiwa kuchezwa Machi 27 jijini Dar es Salaam kuwania kufuzu kwa fainali za CHAN 2011 nchini Sudan.

“Nadhani maandalizi yetu safari hii si mazuri ukilinganisha na mwaka juzi tulipofuzu, japokuwa tuna nafasi kubwa ya kushinda mechi yetu ijayo dhidi ya Somalia.

“Ndio wachezaji wote tulioteuliwa tupo kwenye klabu na wote tunafanya vizuri, lakini nadhani tulihitaji kukaa kambini muda mrefu zaidi kujiandaa na michezo hii kuliko ilivyo kwa sasa.”

Aliongeza kwa hali zetu zilivyo hawana budi kuwa na utamaduni wa kukaa kambini muda mrefu kidogo ili kutujingea kujiamini.

“Jambo lingine ambalo ningependa kuwaomba Watanzania ni kujifunza kukubali matokeo yote ya uwanjani kushinda, kushindwa na sare.

“Mashabiki wa Tanzania matokeo wanachojua wao ni kuishinda tu hakuna kingine timu ikifungwa kila mtu anawashutumu utadhani kwamba sisi tunapenda kufungwa,” alilalama Mgosi.

“Ukiangalia nchi za wenzetu mashabiki watashangilia timu yao hata kama imefungwa jambo hilo linatia moyo sana kwa mchezaji kujua kuna watu wanakuthamini.”

MKURUGENZI wa Maendeleo ya Michezo kutoka Wizara ya Habari, Utamaduni na Michezo, Leonard Thadeo, amesema ziara ya Kombe la FIFA la Dunia inayotarajiwa kuzinduliwa nchini hapa mnamo Novemba 19, 2009, inayoletwa na Kampuni ya Coca-Cola, itaitangaza nchi kwa kiwango kikubwa, haswa kwenye sekta ya utalii, pamoja na fursa zinazopatikana nchini hapa.

Thadeo amesema hayo kwenye mahojiano maalum yaliyofanyika ofisini kwake jijini Dar es Salaam juzi.

Thadeo alisema kuwa ziara ya kombe halisi la FIFA la Dunia, ambayo Shirikisho la Soka la Kimataifa, FIFA, kwa kushirikiana na Kampuni ya vinywaji Coca-Cola, inaiandaa na kuiendesha, ikiwa ni mara ya pili Tanzania kuwa moja ya nchi zitakazokuwa mwenyeji wa ziara hiyo.

Akizungumzia ziara hiyo, Thadeo alisema kwamba ni jambo zuri kwa Tanzania na kwamba ziara hiyo, itasaidia kuitangaza nchi na vivutio vyake.

ìZiara itachangia kuwahamasisha vijana wadogo wanamichezo kuongeza bidii kwenye soka kwa kuwapa matumaini kwamba hata wao siku moja wataweza kushiriki kwenye mechi za fainali za Kombe la Dunia,î alisema Thadeo.

Thadeo alizungumzia pia sababu ambazo zilichangia Tanzania kuchaguliwa kuwa moja ya nchi mbili tu barani Afrika ambazo zilipata nafasi ya kuwa mwenyehi wa Kombe hilo wakati wa ziara ya kwanza ya mwaka 2006.

Alisema kuwa wakati wa ziara ya Kombe la FIFA la Dunia, vyombo vyote vya habari duniani vitakuwa vinazitazama nchi zote za Afrika zitakazotembelewa na Kombe hilo. Vyombo hivyo vitatangaza kuna nini Afrika, watu waliopo nje ya bara hili wataweza kujifunza mengi juu ya Afrika.

ìJambo lingine ambalo ni muhimu ni kwamba ziara itautangaza uwanja wetu wa Taifa, ambao ni mpya, mkubwa na wenye hadhi ya kimataifa. Hii itaanzisha kitu kinachoitwa utalii wa michezo, yaani sports tourism, na itazihamasisha timu nyingi za nje ya nchi kuja kuweka kambi hapa kwani kwa sasa uwanja huu haujatangazwa ipasavyo nje ya nchi.

Akizungumzia manufaa ya fainali za Kombe la FIFA la Dunia ambazo zitafanyika barani Afrika (Afrika Kusini) kwa mara ya kwanza, Thadeo alisema manufaa yake kwa Tanzania na Afrika kwa ujumla yatakuwa hasa katika kusaidia kukuza vipaji vya soka barani.

”Zaidi, kwa kuwa wakati huo Afrika itakuwa inamulikwa na vyombo vyote vya habari, hapa nchini nasi tutapata nafasi ya vivutio vyetu vya utalii kutangazwa, na fursa zote zikiwemo za uwekezaji, pia zitatangazwa. Jambo hili litachangia sana kukuza sekta ya utalii pamoja na nchi kwa ujumla,” alisema.

Ninawaomba Watanzania wajitokeze kwa wingi wakati wa kulipokea Kombe na pia wakati wa hafla za uzinduzi na wakati wa kwenda kulitazama. Hatuna utamaduni wa fujo, sitarajii machafuko kutokea, natoa wito tudumishe amani, tuendelee na utamaduni wetu bila kupigana vikumbo,î aliongeza.