Azam FC set to miss three key players ahead of Simba duel

Dar es Salaam. Featuring of three Azam Football Club foreign players in the club’s assignment against Simba SC this Saturday at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium remains uncertain.

The players are Prince Dube, Never Tigere and Bruce Kangwa. These are currently in the Zimbabwean national football team preparing for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) scheduled to be held in Cameroon from January 9 to 22.

The two teams will clash in the ongoing Mainland Tanzania Premier Leagus from 7pm according to Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB) fixture.

Speaking to The Citizen yesterday, Azam FC Information officer Thabit Zakaria a.k.a Zaka Zakazi said that the players had already joined the national team training camp in Zimbabwe and the only way that would make them play against Simba would be if they were left out of squad.

Zakaria said the players joined Zimbabwe national football team before Christmas. “We allowed them to go for Christmas celebration as well as joining Zimbabwe’s national football team camp. It is a big blow to miss them in the encounter although our team’s head coach Abdihamid Moallin has already prepared technical plan ahead of the match,” said Zakaria.

Moallin is football tactician holding US citizenship but originally comes from Somalia. Before joining Azam FC, he was the head coach of Horseed FC.

Moallin was previously US’ MLS Club DC United’s assistant coach and thereafter operated as Horseed FC of Somalia’s tactician. Before recruiting Moallin, Azam FC technical bench was under Zambian tactician George Lwandamina and his assistant Burundian Vivier Bahati. He said that they were taking the encounter seriously and believed they would do their best so as to improve their ranking in the league standing.

Azam FC are placed seventh in the league standing with 15 points from 10 matches.

The league’s pilot seat is under Jangwani Boys, Dar Young Africans (Yanga), who have so far collected 26 points from 10 matches while Simba are placed second with 21 points from nine matches and Polisi Tanzania are third with 17 points from 11 matches.

Other teams in the top five are Coastal Union placed in the fourth with 17 points from 10 matches and Mbeya City who are placed fifth with 16 collected from 11 matches.

According to Zakaria, they know that the match would be very tough and they have to stretch their muscles in order to win.