SIMBA have confirmed the departure of attacking midfielder Said Ntibazonkiza.

Yesterday, Simba bid farewell to the midfielder by announcing that the star has been released after spending one and a half seasons at the Dar giants.

On the club’s official website, a statement read: "The club management wishes Ntibazonkiza all the best in his new life on and off the field outside Simba.

"Despite playing for a short time, Ntibazonkiza has left an indelible mark in the club due to his excellent service on and off the field."

The 37-year-old star has had a successful personal stint since joining Simba from Geita Gold in the 2022/23 mid-season.

He scored 17 league goals to finish as the Premier League joint top scorer in the 2023/24 season. 

In the just-ended 2023/24 campaign he scored 11 goals to end up as the club’s top scorer once again.

He lifted the Community Shield and the Union Cup with Simba to add to the league and Federation Cup success he enjoyed at Young Africans.

The Burundi international became the second player to leave the club after the departure of veteran striker John Bocco on Saturday. 

Bocco has transitioned to coaching the Simba youth team.

Ntibazonkiza will have enough time to look for a new club as the transfer window opened three days ago and will last for two months. 

He will be hoping to join another team ahead of the 2024/25 season and should not be short of suitors considering his top-flight experience.

A number of other players at Simba could be expected to be shown the exit door in the coming weeks or loaned out for game time.

The team had little to play for in the league once they had fallen off the relentless pace of the leaders and eventual champions Young Africans, and the defeats in the Federation Cup as well as the manner of elimination from the CAF Champions League, combined to form a really nasty cocktail of apathy and disappointment in the final stages of the 2023/24 season.

A pre-season of change is expected as the club is looking to bolster their squad to fight for the Premier League title and the CAF Confederation Cup next season.