Mainland Premier League starts with few scored goals
Yanga’s attacking midfielder Yacouba Sogne (right) vies for the ball against Geita Gold FC Derick Mussa during a Tanzania Mainland League match at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam last Saturday. Yanga won 1-0. Photo | Loveness Bernard
What you need to know:
- A total of 22 goals were scored in the first two matches played by each of the 16 club teams in the new Premier League. This is in comparison to the 27 goals scored by the 18 club teams in the first two matches last season
Dar es Salaam. The first two rounds matches of the Mainland Premier League have recorded fewer goals when comparing with the previous nine seasons that was dominated by big guns, Simba, Yanga and Azam.
In this season, a totals of 22 goals have been scored in the first two matches played by each team in the league. In the last season, the total of 27 goals scored in the same rounds.
The opening matches of the league garnered 10 goals and the second matches collected 12 goals respectively.
In the last season, the league’s opening matches collected 14 goals and the second matches garnered 13 goals.
Unlike several previous seasons, there is no match in this season that had a team conceding three goals, compared to the last season that had Simba winning the title for the fourth time in a row.
Two games in the last season produced seven goals whereby Kinondoni Municipal Council (KMC) won 4-0 against Mbeya City and later Simba won 2-1 against Ihefu at the Sokoine Stadium in Mbeya.
So far, four clubs have emerged with a 1-0 victory on their opening matches. These are Young Africans (Yanga) who won 1-0 against Kagera Sugar, Mbeya City (who won 1-0 against Tanzania Prisons), Mbeya Kwanza recorded the same score margin against Mtibwa Sugar and Dodoma Jiji’s 1-0 victory against Ruvu Shooting.
The league’s defending champion Simba have to work hard in this season due to their results in their two matches. Simba recorded a barren draw against Biashara Mara United and later won 1-0 against Dodoma Jiji FC at the Jamhuri Stadium in Dodoma. This is the first time for Simba to record such results when comparing to the past season.
In the 2013/14 season, Simba finished the season in the fourth position and in their first match, they drew 2-2 against Tabora’s Rhino Rangers and in the following season, Simba recorded 2-2 draw against Coastal Union and finished in the third. The records also show that in the 10 consecutive seasons, 2013/2014 and 2019/2020 the total of 19 goals scored in the first two opening rounds when compared into this season.
In this season, a total of 22 goals have been scored in the first two matches played by each club in the league. In the last season, the total of 27 goals scored in the same rounds.
