Big guns in tight race for title
Young Africans striker Donald Ngoma (left) in a tussle for the ball with David Mwantika of Azam during a past Vodacom Premier League match at the National Stadium. photo | FILE
What you need to know:
- The title race is bound to go to the wire with four teams fighting for the crown and with it, a ticket to Africa Champions League
Dar es Salaam. As the battle for the Mainland Premier League title inches towards the home stretch, Azam FC caretaker coach Idd Cheche has told his players to get over the 2017 Mapinduzi Cup-winning honeymoon and get down to work.
The title race is bound to go to the wire with four teams fighting for the coveted top position and with it, a ticket to the lucrative Africa Champions League.
“It is still early to talk about what is going to happen in April, but one of our ambitions is to go as far as possible,” Cheche said yesterday.
The ice cream makers are fine-tuning ahead of Sunday’s blockbuster showdown against title hopefuls Simba.
Azam, who dropped two vital points in their barren draw with Mbeya City at Chamazi Complex on Wednesday night, sit third in the Vodacom Premier League table with 31points from 19 outings.
With eleven rounds to go, league leaders Simba stand as firm favourites to lift the crown but their traditional rivals Yanga, who are just two points behind them, are giving them sleepless nights.
Despite battling to a barren draw with Mtibwa Sugar in Morogoro on Wednesday, the Msimbazi Reds remain unruffled at the summit of the 16-team top flight with 45 points, 14 ahead of third-placed Azam.
Mathematically, Simba, defending champions Young Africans, Azam FC and fourth-placed Kagera Sugar, remain serious contenders for the title and the jackpot that goes with it.
Before this week’s games, Simba were four points ahead of their closest challengers Yanga. This has since been reduced to just two.
Azam who, at one point, seemed to have given up on title race, now say they have all it takes to remain in contention for the crown.
On Wednesday night, Cheche’s men, despite enjoying a friendly support from their home crowd at Chamazi Complex, could not translate possession into goals.
But the stand-in coach, looking unperturbed, described the 0-0 draw with Mbeya City was just a slip up.
Team captain John Bocco, who played a key role for the team’s impressive show during the Mapinduzi Cup in Zanzibar, had similar views.
“We are now thinking about our next game and things we want to achieve this season,” Bocco said.
