PIECES the Premier League’s jigsaw puzzle are still missing and the title goes down to the wire despite Young Africans’ 2-1 win over Kagera Sugar at the National Stadium on Tuesday.
Yanga, the defending champions had, however, to sweat profusely to earn the three points from hard-fighting Kagera Sugar, a situation that depicts a thorny race to this year’s league title.
Unlike last season’s league when Yanga claimed the league championship with two matches in hand, this season, the champion will be known at the end of 30th round by no means. While the focus is on the league’s front runners; Yanga and Simba, worth to consider in the race are hurdles from teams fighting relegation.
The teams include Mbao FC with 30 points, who will host Yanga in their last league match in Mwanza and Toto Africa, with 29 points who will also face Yanga in the penultimate round of the league in Dar es Salaam.
It is obvious none of them will be ready to die meekly as the easy defeat will mean relegation. At this stage, the league whose title race has become a two-horse showdown, is solely dominated by Yanga and Simba who have tied on 62 points, with the former having played 27 games and the latter 28 matches.
What, however, gives Yanga an edge above their traditional rivals Simba is a superior goal difference apart from having more matches than their Dar es Salaam rivals.
Yanga must overcome Mebya City hurdle in Dar es Salaam before testing the two Mwanza-based Toto and Mbao FC. Simba, as well, must claim six points from remaining two matches against Stand United and Mwadui FC to complete their league campaign or else they will see their title campaign end in a pipe dream.
It is not only the race for the title that makes this year’s league very tense, but the fight for survival involving mostly six teams facing relegation makes the league more interesting. With JKT Ruvu already bowed out of the race, Majimaji with 29 points and Toto Africa with also 29 points seem to be fighting for the survival. Ndanda FC with 30 points and Mbao FC also with 30 points, are not far from the danger zone either.
With two matches remaining, Majimaji can reap 35 maximum points if they win both and the so are Toto African, who can knock 38 points if they win all three remaining matches including their game against Yanga.
Altogether Tanzania Prisons and African Lyon, who have each notched 31 points, must fight for good results in their last two matches or else they will be risking relegation as well. As playing against teams in danger of relegation will be similar to hold a lioness by its tail, hence the giants upfront must assess these opponents when facing them. Toto African will also face Azam and Mtibwa Sugar away, face an uphill task as both teams are country’s households in Tanzania football.
Therefore, the two teams and Yanga will decide if Toto African should remain in the league or not. Majimaji, who have two games against the already relegated JKT Ruvu and Mbeya City who have notched 33 points so far, will be helped by either luck or a hard fight for the survival.
The last round of the league will see Mbao FC hosting Yanga in Mwanza as Stand United will host Ruvu Shooting at CCM Kambarage Stadium. Mtibwa Sugar will invite Toto Africans at their Manungu Complex in Morogoro, while Africans Lyon will travel to Mbeya to face Tanzania Prisons at the Sokoine Stadium.
Ndanda will be at their Nangwanda Sijaona Stadium to face JKT Ruvu.
Credit : Daily news tz
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