Azam, Jamhuri meet today
Azam FC Zimbabwean striker Donald Ngoma runs with the ball as he is closely marked by fellow players during the team’s past training session at the Azam Complex in Dar es Salaam. PHOTO|FILE
What you need to know:
The group B match has been scheduled to start at 8pm and each team is optimistic to win the encounter. Before match, Chipukizi and Mlandage which are in group A will face off from 4pm
Dar es Salaam. Defending Champions Azam FC today play Jamhuri of Pemba in their first match of the Mapinduzi Cup at the Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar.
The group B match has been scheduled to start at 8pm and each team is optimistic to win the encounter. Before the encounter, Chipukizi and Mlandage which are in group A will face off from 4pm.
Other group A teams are KMKM and Simba while the group B has KVZ, Malindi, and Young Africans.
Azam FC head coach Hans Van der Pluijm said yesterday that they are targeting victory in the encounter in order to sweep the road of defending the title.
Pluijm said his players are ready for the encounter and expect strong opposition from Jamhuri, who feature in the Zanzibar League. Jamhuri, based on the Pemba Island, is one of the soccer giants in Zanzibar.
“We know that Jamhuri will play hard as they are targeting victory against us, but we are ready for the challenge and we have committed players who are ready for the battle,” said Pluijm.
He said that it is not going to be an easy encounter as they are playing against one of the giant teams in the history of Zanzibar football and they need to be focused all the time. Jamhuri is the first team to win the title in 1998 after beating Shangani 2-1 at the Amaan Stadium.
“It is going to be a tough encounter, but we have prepared well for that, we need victory in order to start well our road in clinching the title for fifth times in history,” he said.
Azam FC is the only team that has so far clinched the title four times. They won it in 2012 and 2013 editions before Kampala City Counvil Authority (KCCA) winning the title in the 2014 edition and later Simba in 2015.
The trophy landed in Uganda in 2016 after Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) winning the title and later Azam FC emerging victorious in 2017 and last year. Giants Simba have won twice in 2011 and 2015 while Young Africans have won once, 2004.
