Serengeti Boys defender Dickson Kibabage (left) guards Ghana midfielder Opoku Kwaowo during their friendly match at the National Stadium yesterday. They played out a two-all draw. The Boys warming up for the 2017 African Youth Championship finals. PHOTO|SAID KHAMIS
What you need to know:
The league title battle which has, for weeks, been a two-horse race, now has, mathematically, three possible winners after last weekend’s matches
Dar es Salaam. If unpredictability makes for compelling competition, only few, if any, local championships can rival the Mainland Premier League.
The league title battle which has, for weeks, been a two-horse race, now has, mathematically, three possible winners after last weekend’s matches.
Officials and supporters of Mainland giants Simba were left puzzled on Sunday when, against all predictions, the Msimbazi Reds succumbed to a shock 2-0 defeat at the hands of Kagera Sugar in Bukoba.
Kagera Sugar, who had three former Simba players on board, including goalkeeper Juma Kaseja, leapfrogged Azam FC from the third position after the win.
Mbaraka Yusuf and Edward Christopher, who scored a goal apiece to bring tears at Simba camp, featured for the Msimbazi Street team before joining the Bukoba-based side.
Simba head coach Joseph Omog conceded, who was left crest-fallen after the game, conceded the battle for the title was wide open.
His players have to bounce back when they confront Mbao FC at the CCM Kirumba Stadium in Mwanza on Saturday if the Msimbazi Reds are to put their campaign back on track.
For defending champions Young Africans, their traditional rivals’ defeat to Kagera Sugar was a good result.
Yanga, who moved to the summit of the league with a 1-0 win over Azam FC on Saturday, remain unruffled at the top with 56 points from 25 games, one point ahead of second-placed Simba.
League matches involving Yanga have been put on hold because they will be competing in the CAF Confederation Cup this weekend.
They face MC Alger of Algeria in the first leg on Saturday at the National Stadium. This means Simba will regain the league leadership if they beat Mbao.
However, to clinch the title, which has eluded them for four years, Simba need not to win all their remaining five matches, but also pray that leaders Yanga lose at least one of their games. Kagera Sugar, who now sit third with 45 points from 25 outings, can also emerge new Mainland champions if they win all their next five outings, and Yanga and Simba lose theirs.
At the other end of the league, say they have ‘all it takes’ to avoid relegation after trashing Toto African of Mwanza 4-1 in Ruvuma on Sunday.
They now sit second from the bottom. It remains to be seen if they will really maintain the tempo.
