Simba in advanced talks with Ivorian defender Wonlo Coulibaly

©ASEC Mimosas

FOOTBALL Simba in advanced talks with Ivorian defender Wonlo Coulibaly

Festus Chuma 10:10 - 02.06.2023

If signed at Msimbazi Reds, Coulibaly will be expected to provide competition to Joash Onyango.

Tanzania Premier League giants Simba SC are in talks with ASEC Mimosas over a move of Ivorian defender Wonlo Coulibaly.

The Msimbazi Reds coach Roberinho Oliveria Goncalves do Carmo, also known as Robetinho, is keen to bolster his defensive options, and reports in Dar es Salaam reveal he has pinpointed the 31-year-old as a potential recruit.

Coulibaly made over 20 league appearances for the Mimos since joining the club at the start of the 2022/2023 football season.

A Tanzanian publication Mwanaspoti indicates that Simba is currently in advanced discussions with the defender, and the deal could be sealed in the following days.

"There is a need to sign a central defender because it is an area that needs adjustment from the beginning, so if this deal is completed as soon as possible, we will have killed two birds with one stone," the source quoted by the publication.

If the move materializes, Coulibaly will be expected to use his experience to guide the younger players in the current squad, especially those in defensive positions.

Horoya AC of Guinea and, alongside unnamed lower divisions, French clubs have previously been linked with the Ivorian international services.

Born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Coulibaly started his professional career with the local side Tanda.

He then earned a move to ASEC in 2017 for his first stint at the club before making a move to five-time African champions TP Mazembe after two seasons.

In 2021 the center-back left the Ravens and moved to Omani side Al Suwaiq where he stayed for one season before returning to ASEC Mimosas.

Coulibaly made his senior national team debut in 2018, has 23 caps for his country, and was part of the Elephants squad that played in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.