Simba Bhora coach impressed by team’s performance

By Sport Reporter

Simba Bhora coach Joel Lupahla is impressed with his team’s performance in South Africa, where they are going through their pre-season training camp.

The reigning league champions will stay in South Africa for two weeks and have already kicked off five days.

With a lot of battle fronts awaiting them this season, the club opted to do a pre-season camp in a foreign land to give the squad exposure ahead of their inaugural dance in the CAF Champions League later this year.

In South Africa, Simba is testing its strength by playing several South African clubs, and coach Lupahla has praised his charges for a good show.

“We have only played one game versus Baroka, the South Africans are miles ahead in terms of technique but I am proud of the boys because we fought hard.

“We gave them a good run and I as the coach was also impressed especially with their ball artistry they did well we dominated play and scored a beautiful team goal and those are signs of great things to come,” said Lupahla.

The Shamva-based side is currently going through a rebuilding process after a mass exodus, which saw them losing 13 players.

Other than losing players, the team also parted ways with title-winning coach Tonderai Ndiraya, who was since replaced by Lupahla.

Sharing his assessment of the rebuilding process, Lupahla said everything is shaping up.

“The pre-season so far has been great we thank our management for sacrificing hard-earned money to bring us here but it won’t be in vain as this has made us gel within a short space of time.

“Remember we brought in a lot of players and that is unheard of in a soccer setup but we had to plug in the gap.

“It needed that players gel in and in Harare it was going to be hard as players just come to train and go back home but here we have managed to stay together and share rooms with different players and that alone brings together the unity we want,” added Lupahla.

Simba Bhora is set to play Dynamos on the 22nd of February in a Castle Challenge Cup match scheduled to be played at Rufaro.

Serving as a curtain raiser to the 2025 league season, the traditional fixture is played by defending league champions and Chibuku Super Cup title holders.