Simba SC defender Rushine De Reuck has explained how his leadership role at the Tanzanian giants has elevated his game, saying the added responsibility and positive environment have helped him grow as a player.
De Reuck was appointed co-captain of the Tanzanian side ahead of the 2025/26 season alongside long-serving club icon Shomari Kapombe. It is the first time that the defender has been named captain of a senior professional side since making his top-flight debut with Maritzburg United.
“Obviously, I am a little bit older now. So this is something that I knew that I am going to have to grow into,” De Reuck told FARPost in an interview. “I’m grateful for the responsibility because it makes you a better person and a better player as well. The teammates we have in the team also make it easy for me, you know.
“They are all respectful, and they obviously know I haven’t been a captain before in my previous teams. In the junior levels I was captain, so it was something new to me again, but you know they have helped me in so many ways,” he added.
“So it’s definitely something that I am excited about, and I just want to grow as a player and a captain. It’s such a privilege to be able to take on this role, especially at a team like Simba SC, so it makes me very happy.”
SIMBA SC CAPTAIN SAYS BEING APPRECIATED AT SIMBA SC HAS HELPED HIM SETTLE
De Reuck has been in fine form for Simba since joining at the beginning of the 2025/26 season, scooping some Man of the Match awards and scoring crucial goals. The former Mamelodi Sundowns player has credited the environment at the club as the main reason for his form after leaving South Africa’s Betway Premiership.
“I think it’s just really the environment; it allows you to excel. Just having people who trust you,” he continued. “This is so important in football; you feel that love and appreciation. So it gives you that energy to always just do your best.”
The central defender added that the welcoming atmosphere in East Africa has played a vital role in his strong performances on the pitch.
“As I said, there is a big appreciation for me in Tanzania, and it’s something that I haven’t really received in South Africa,” De Reuck noted. “But I am in an environment, and this is very important and a big reason why I am performing the way I am.”
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