Yanga defender Kelvin Yondani during a training session last season. The Former Simba defender is the Vodacom Premier League’s Player of the Year. photo | file
What you need to know:
Yanga were awarded Sh70m for snatching the Vodacom Premier League title and some Sh15 million for being the most disciplined side
Dar es Salaam. Outstanding players and coaches for the 2011/12 season were unveiled on Wednesday night with Mainland champions Young Africans and Azam FC dominating the recipients’ list.
Yanga were awarded Sh70 million for snatching the Vodacom Premier League title and some Sh15 million for being the most disciplined side during the prize-giving ceremony. They also produced the best player in defender Kelvin Yondani, who walked away with a Sh5 million cash prize from the league sponsors-- Vodacom Tanzania.
Azam FC, who finished second, scooped two awards, one short of Yanga. The ice-cream producers received Sh35 million and went on to win the best scorer’s award through their Ivorian forward Kipre Tchetche, who got Sh5 million.
The awards were handed over by the minister for Information, Youth, Culture and Sports, Fenella Mukangara.
Speaking at the occasion, the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) secretary general, Angetile Osiah, said selection of the award recipients was done in line with the statistics congregated by the federation’s technical committee.
He said they did not take into consideration the nominees for the Tanzania Sports Writers Association (Taswa) or players association (Sputanza) when picking the winners.
“We believe that the beneficiaries were selected on merit because the process was done in accordance with the statistics gathered by the TFF’s technical committee.”
“The TFF and Premier League Committee keenly followed the exercise to ensure there was no bias,” said Ossiah.
Simba SC received Sh25 million for securing a berth in the top three and fourth-placed Kagera Sugar were awarded Sh20 million.
Simba’s new coach Abdallah Kibaden was named the best after guiding Kagera Sugar to the fourth place for the first time in as many years. He received Sh7.5 million.
Also in the list of the recipients were Simon Mbelwa, who emerged the best referee and JKT Mgambo’s Fully Maganga who was named the most disciple player.
Mbelwa was awarded Sh7.5 million while Maganga got Sh5 million. Tanzania Prisons goalkeeper David Burhan won the best goalkeeper’s gong. He received Sh5 million.
Apart from the awards by the league sponsors, there were also prizes from the TFF at the occasion.
Six U-20 players were awarded Sh1 million each for faring impressively for their respective teams in the top flight league.
The players are Abdulrahman Mussa and Hassan Dilunga both of Ruvu Shooting, Chande Magoja, Tonny Kavishe (JKT Mgambo), Hamis Saleh (JKT Oljoro) and Mtibwa Sugar’s Rajab Zahir, who will feature for Yanga next season.
Speaking at same occasion, Vodacom Tanzania’s head of Marketing and Communications, Kelvin Twissa said they feel proud to be associated with the elite league.
Twissa said his company was committed to turning around the country’s soccer fortunes and make the league one of the best in Africa.
For her part, Mukangara commended the company for its efforts to develop the sport.
