Promoted teams to make league more competitive

One of the most exciting aspects of Tanzanian football leagues is the system of promotion and relegation.

Each year, the best-ranked teams in the lower division earn promotion to the division above, and the worst-ranked teams in the higher division are relegated to the division below.

This season’s First Division League came to an end a few days ago with four teams promoted to the Mainland Premier League next season. They are Majimaji of Songea, Tanga’s African Sports, Mwadui of Shinyanga and Toto African of Mwanza. Two teams currently in the 14-team Mainland Premier League will be relegated at the end to the season, meaning there will be 16 teams in the top flight league next season. Toto African, Majimaji, African Sports and Mwadui are not new to the Premier League. They once competed in the league, which determines the country’s envoys to the Africa club competitions — CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup. Majimaji were crowned Union champions twice in the 1980s. The Songea team, then with star players like Madaraka Selemani and Celestine ‘Sikinde’ Mbunga, were a force to be reckoned with.

Their return, together with the other three promoted outfits, will certainly make next season’s more competitive and exciting. They might be relishing an opportunity to join the elite league, but they should know that earning promotion and making a mark in the Premier League are two different things.

In Tanzania, it is common for a team to earn promotion today and forfeit its Premiership status at the end of the season. If they really want to make their presence felt in next season’s league and avoid embarrassment and subsequent relegation, they must train even harder and reinforce their squads ahead of the new season.