“Holy War” in Dar Es Salaam!
Simba and Young Africans produced a fierce 2:2 derby in Tanzania — a football spectacle where the pitch, the city, the supporters and the culture became one living story.
On 3 May 2026, at 18:00 local time in Tanzania, in the city of Dar Es Salaam, at the KMC Complex Stadium, located in the Kinondoni District within the Mwenge area, another football “holy war” was played!
Simba versus Yanga!
Yes, that is what the fans commonly call these two great clubs, supported by the whole of Tanzania.
That means — you are Simba! Or Yanga!
The match of the 22nd round of the Tanzanian NBC Premier League 2025/2026, between Simba Sports Club Dar Es Salaam and Young Africans Sports Club Dar Es Salaam, was watched live by 6,000 fans. This is the so-called “Kariakoo Derby”. It is precisely in the Kariakoo district that both clubs have their headquarters.
This fierce encounter, full of passion, sacrifice and commitment, ended in a 2:2 draw (2:1).
Match Narrative
Simba had already taken a 2:0 lead after goals by Libasse Gueye (Senegal) in the 3rd minute and Clatous Chama Chota (Zambia) in the 10th minute.
For the first goal, a Young Africans defender made a glaring mistake in the central area of the pitch while trying to play the ball out, and the Simba striker took advantage of it by applying high pressing and playing the ball to the winger at the far post.
The second goal for Simba SC was a goal worthy of the world’s greatest stadiums! During a dynamic positional attack, the ball was cut just before the penalty area behind Yanga’s defensive line, followed by Chama’s acrobatic jump. Turning in the air, he put the ball into the net! A bicycle kick, scissors — not quite. It was something special! Such a strike of the ball must receive its own name! Perhaps “the eagle” in honour of the Zambian footballer! Ooh la la!
Young Africans, however, caught the Lions, because they scored the contact goal already in the 18th minute after a sliding shot in the penalty area by Prince Dube (Zimbabwe). They scored the equalising goal from a set piece, a corner kick, in the 51st minute, through Bakari Mwamnyeto (Tanzania).
Until the end of the match, there was a “cauldron” in both penalty areas and dynamic transition phases carried out by the players of both teams, but neither of them finally managed to secure the victory.
Photo Gallery
Selected visual moments from the Kariakoo Derby in Dar Es Salaam, capturing the intensity of the match, the stadium atmosphere and the cultural energy surrounding one of Tanzania’s most important football rivalries.
Coaches-Managers of Both Teams
Simba SC — Steve Barker (South Africa)
Young Africans SC — Pedro Goncalves (Portugal).
Starting Line-ups
Simba SC
- 39. D. Kassali (goalkeeper) (Niger)
- 32. N. Kibabage (Tanzania)
- 23. R. Reuck (South Africa)
- 25. I. Toure (Ivory Coast)
- 15. S. Kapombe (captain) (Tanzania)
- 21. Y. Kogoma (Tanzania)
- 10. I. Loemba (Congo)
- 35. N. Maema (South Africa)
- 17. C. Chama (Zambia)
- 7. L. Gueye (Senegal)
- 34. E. Mpanzu (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Young Africans SC
- 39. D. Diarra (goalkeeper) (Mali)
- 23. C. Boka (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
- 4. I. Hamad (Tanzania)
- 3. B. Mwamnyeto (captain) (Tanzania)
- 33. I. Mwenda (Tanzania)
- 20. A. Okello (Uganda)
- 7. M. Nzengeli (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
- 38. D. Abuya (Kenya)
- 25. M. Damaro (Tanzania)
- 29. P. Dube (Zimbabwe)
- 10. P. Zouzoua (Ivory Coast)
League Context
In the league table, Yanga still leads with 48 points, Simba is in second place with 43 points, and another giant is chasing these teams — a club also built with significant financial resources from the city of Dar Es Salaam, Azam FC.
The television broadcast of the match was carried by Azam Sports HD.
The Supporter Culture
In Tanzania, fans following matches assess every play and react vividly every time a player or a team makes a valuable move!
Fans in Tanzania live for “football”; they love it as much as in Argentina, Brazil or the British Isles, but what distinguishes them is their enormous love for their fellow human beings, and despite their very strong attachment to their club colours, they do not harm one another. They say that they fight each other to the bitter end, just like the players on the pitch, but only with… “words”!
They show their superiority through lively joy after goals, while the players do so through inventive celebrations! It is very colourful here at matches, despite, of course, the dominant club colours. Fans dance throughout the match, sing, join together in groups, embrace one another, letting the rival fans know that it will not be easy!
There is such enormous passion for football in Tanzania that people are able to come to church or to a wedding simply wearing a club shirt! And it is not necessarily a Simba or Yanga shirt, but the shirt of their favourite club from around the world, for example FC Liverpool, Manchester United, Palmeiras, Al Nassr or Betis Sevilla! Here, this is normal!
The Stadium and the Rainy Season
The match was exceptionally played at a small stadium due to the rainy season currently taking place in Tanzania, and what deserves attention is that the match was played on a natural, quite well-prepared pitch considering the conditions in this part of the world — East Africa.
More and more football facilities here in Tanzania have artificial surfaces, and these pitches are being built by companies from China.
This was an exceptional situation, as most derby matches between Simba SC and Young Africans Dar Es Salaam are played at the national stadium named Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, with a capacity of 60,000, and as one can imagine, it is always full!
When Tanzania Stops for Football
This time, most fans — practically the whole of Tanzania — watched this spectacle in pubs, beach bars, street bars, squares, neighbours’ yards, everywhere!
Literally everyone watches the match — also girls, women, children and elderly people!
Despite the enormous rivalry between these teams and their fans, dressed in the colours of their beloved clubs, supporters cheer “under one roof” and it bothers no one.
There is no hostility here, no vulgarity, no aggression! There is energy and pure passion!
These are 90 minutes in Tanzania when literally “life stops” and nothing matters except the confrontation between the two football powers.
In this country, football is constantly developing, the first organised football academies are being established, and every village and town has several local little teams, organised through their own efforts.
An absolute revelation and passion for football!
Football, Society and Influence
One can imagine what heroes the footballers and coaches are for the whole society, as well as the club owners!
Football here is also a powerful political and propaganda weapon. The sponsors of individual teams — and by far the partners supporting Simba and Yanga — have much greater turnover when it comes to selling their goods or services!
Field Note from Rasta Zone Beach
To sum up, I had the pleasure of watching these league struggles in a beach bar, Rasta Zone Beach, in Dar Es Salaam, in the Kigamboni district. Crowds, people packed shoulder to shoulder, every chair and every piece of the beach occupied long before the referee’s first whistle!
A small television set hung above the bar, but it did not bother anyone. There was no end to the joy after the goals, the match kept everyone in suspense until the referee’s final whistle, and the final draw meant that the fans dispersed, murmuring under their breath with a great sense of dissatisfaction, but… not to their homes!
They went to the next bars to summarise and discuss the match, share their thoughts, release emotions and tilt back one more small bottle of Kilimanjaro or Safari beer, or perhaps something stronger!
After all, they had experienced one of the greatest socio-cultural events in Tanzania, and it was Sunday evening. Nobody was going home!
