Aziz Ki admits having faced tough challenge in race of top scorers

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Young Africans (Yanga) attacking midfielders, Kennedy Musonfa (left) and Stephane Aziz Ki, celebrate after scoring against Tanzania Prisons at the Azam Complex in the just ended Tanzania Mainland Premier League. PHOTO | COURTESY

What you need to know:

  • The player won the golden boot award after scoring 21 goals, surpassing the second-placed Feisal "Fei Toto" Salum.

Dar es Salaam. Young Africans (Yanga) attacking midfielder Stephane Aziz Ki has admitted having faced a tough season in the just-concluded Tanzania Mainland Premier League.

However, he has promised to come back much stronger next season.

The player won the golden boot award after scoring 21 goals, surpassing the second-placed Feisal "Fei Toto" Salum.

He said every team and every player in the league was aiming to win the title and other awards, making the league one of the toughest.

"We won the title, and I won the golden boot award. All these awards are for the club's players, coaches, leaders, as well as members and fans, as we celebrate this success," said Aziz Ki.

He reflected that he had never scored as many goals in his career as he did this season, attributing his success to the cooperation with other players and the technical staff.

"All the goals I scored are the result of cooperation with other players. We are one team, and that’s why I dedicate the award to teammates, fans, and members. It’s for the club as much as it is for me. As a player, football is my career, and I need to do even more in the coming season. You always need to aim for the best to advance," he said.

The former Asec Mimosas attacking midfielder faced a tough season after joining Yanga but managed to score nine goals last season that also saw Yanga’s Fiston Mayele and Simba’s Saido Ntibazonkiza each scoring 17 goals.

In another development, Aziz Ki congratulated Azam FC midfielder Feisal "Fei Toto" Salum, for challenging him for the award.

He described Fei Toto as one of the best Tanzanian players and believes the Azam FC player will excel if he is to continue the same spirit next season.

"I am happy with Fei Toto; he is the best Tanzanian player, who challenged me a lot. I can say that he inspired me to do more than I did last season to become the top scorer," he said.

For his part, Fei Toto congratulated Aziz Ki for his success in the league. "While I am celebrating Azam FC's qualification for the CAF Champions League, I also congratulate Aziz Ki for his success. He deserved to win, even though I was also aiming for the award," said Fei Toto.