SIMBA will feel like they have a point to prove during the 2024/25 campaign, having finished a disappointing third last season.

Failure would be disappointing given the ambitious and expensive outlay Fadlu Davids’s side enjoyed in the transfer market.

Fourteen new players have arrived at Simba while more than seven have also departed from the team in a major shake-up of the squad, resulting in plenty of shirt number movement ahead of the 2024/25 season.

On Saturday, the club revealed the squad numbers for all the new signings: Jean Charles Ahoua, Steven Mukwala, Joshua Mutale, Abdulrazak Hamza, Debora Fernandes, Augustine Okejepha, Valentino Mashaka, Omary Abdallah Omary, Valentin Nouma, Karaboue Chamou, Yusuph Kagoma, and Moussa Camara.

Zambian winger Mutale, signed from Power Dynamos, is Simba’s latest No. 7, previously worn by Willy Onana last season.

New goalkeeper Camara, arriving from Guinea’s Horoya, took number 26. Centre-back Hamza, signed from South Africa’s SuperSport United, wears the number 14 jersey.

Burkina Faso left-fullback Nouma, who is expected to offer competition to Mohamed Hussein, has the number 29 on his back.

The youngest player in the current squad, Nigerian midfielder Augustine Okejepha (20), recently signed from Rivers United, has taken number 25, while Ivorian center-back Chamou officially has number 2.

Midfielder Awesu, captured from KMC, has taken the number 23, while Omary, arriving from Mashujaa, will wear the number 8 jersey.

Angolan midfielder Debora Fernandes Mavambo took the number 17 shirt from Clatous Chama, who joined Young Africans following the expiration of his contract. 

Kagoma has the number 21, and Mashaka will wear the number 27.

Ugandan striker Steven Mukwala has received the number 11 shirt after his transfer from Asante Kotoko while attacking midfielder Ahoua will be donning the number 10 that was vacant after the exit of Saido Ntibazonkiza.

In the modern game and due to so many players being flexible in their positioning, squad numbers don't have as much meaning as they used to.

Players tend to have the option to choose any number they wish, but certain clubs may enforce specific numbering rules.

NBC Premier League players are allowed to wear any number between 1 and 70, as long as it's distinctive within their squad.

First-team players are typically assigned shirt numbers between 1 and 30, but there are outliers to this presumption. For example, in the Simba squad, Kibu Denis holds the No. 38.