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MAINLAND giants Simba suffered a 2-1 defeat to Uganda's URA in a pre-season friendly encounter at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
Newly-recruited striker Betram Mombeki scored Simba's lone goal in the first half as URA came strongly after the restart to beat Ugandan goalkeeper Abbel Dhaira twice through goals from Lutimba Yayo.
Simba, under the tutelage of legend Abdallah 'King' Kibadeni, displayed an eye catching football especially in the first half and deservedly went ahead when the promising striker netted a sensational goal after exchanging neat passes with Marcel Boniventura.
However, the Reds were reduced to ten men in the second half, when match referee Michael Magori gave Mombeki marching orders for elbowing defender Jonathan Mugabi. URA took advantage as former Simba central defenders Joseph Owino and Derick Walullya pushed further upfront.
It came as no surprise when Simba surrendered from URA pressure and conceded an equaliser after an hour mark, when Walullya set Yayo clear to beat the keeper with ease. Yayo was on target again in the 75th minute.
Line up, Simba SC; Abbel Dhaira, Nassor Masoud 'Chollo', Issa Rashid 'Baba Ubaya', Rahim Juma/ Sino Augustino, Samuel Ssenkoom, Jonas Mkude, Ramadhani Singano/Miraj Adam, William Lucian, Betram Mombeki, Zahor Pazi/Twaha Ibrahim and Marcel Boniventura.
Meanwhile, security had to be beefed up at the club's Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Police Officer's Mess in Dar es Salaam yesterday, as elements of skirmishes turned evident.
At least 700 members attended the meeting. Chairman, Ismail Aden Rage controlled the atmosphere and responded well to queries from members who, among other burning issues, demanded to know the mystery surrounding Emmanuel Okwi's transfer to Etoile Sportive Du Sahel of Tunisia and the disastrous title defence campaign, which saw the team finish in unfamiliar third place, are set to dominate the meeting.
Efforts by some members to press for an agenda to reinstate former Vice-Chairman, Geoffrey Nyange 'Kaburu' hit the brick wall as it was suppressed by Rage, who said the Executive Committee had already endorsed his resignation.
Ironically, members were also against the 'Club's Strategic Planning' that has been prepared by the Open University and was presented at the meeting by Prof Tolly Mbwete. Several members stood and dismissed the presentation, saying they want results not 'too much' talking and promises.
Police had to come in and calm tension as the meeting continued. In the meeting the club members unanimously endorsed the Minister for East African Cooperation, Samwel Sitta as new club trustee to fill in the vacuum left by the late Ally Kleist Sykes.
Other trustees are Ramesh Patel and Hamis Kilomoni. Rage assured the members that Okwi's money will be recovered, adding that the club was in the process of trading attacking midfielder Amri Kiemba to an unnamed Tunisian club.
Okwi, who was a key player for Simba, joined the Tunisia soccer club in January, this year with the North Africa club agreeing to pay US$300,000 for the prolific Uganda Cranes striker, but the Tanzania club is yet to receive a single penny from Etoile Sportive Du Sahel.
In March, this year, Rage, who is also a trained lawyer, succeeded to stop a coup from radical members who had threatened to overthrow his regime in the wake of the team's poor results.
The members voiced their complaints against Rage's regime, key being the team's disastrous titledefence campaign and poor performance in this year's CAF Champions League.
The disgruntled members voiced their complaints that ever since Rage came into power in 2011, regular meetings of the clubs that were supposed to be held after every four months had been ignored.

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