Yanga SC beat Dodoma Jiji FC to win 29th Premiership title
Young Africans (Yanga) players celebrate after beating Dodoma Jiji FC 4-2 to retain the NBC Premier League title at the Azam Complex in Dar es Salaam today. Yanga have collected 74 points that cannot be reached by any other team in the league. PHOTO | LOVENESS BERNARD
What you need to know:
- This is the second title for Yanga to win this season after having managed to clinch the Community Shield by beating Simba on August 13 last year at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium
Dar es Salaam. Young Africans (Yanga) have retained the NBC Mainland Tanzania Premier League title for the 29th time after recording a 4-2 victory over Dodoma Jiji FC at the Azam Complex Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
The title winners have so far collected 74 points that cannot be reached by any other team in the league.
This is the second title for Yanga to win this season after having managed to clinch the Community Shield by beating Simba on August 13 last year at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
The encounter was tough and an exciting one as Yanga had to labour to score three goals within 17 minutes of the match.
Yanga’s Kennedy Musonda scored in the 39th minute after he was set clear by Stephane Aziz Ki, before Collins Opare equalized in the 59th minute, and later Seif Karihe made the central zone team lead 2-1 after scoring in the 67th minute. Yanga equalized through Mudathir Yahya in the 70th minute after recieving a good pass from Clement Mzize, and later Farid Mussa added the third goal in the 88th minute. Again Mudathir scored the fourth goal in extra time.
Yanga head coach Nasreddine Nabi commended his players for the victory, despite facing a strong opposition from Dodoma Jiji.
“We faced a strong opposition from our rivals. It was not an easy league, we thank our players for their fighting spirit and commitment till the team have emerged the victors of the league for the second time in a row,” said Nabi.
Meanwhile, the Tanzania Mainland Premier League continues tomorrow at three different venues with Coastal Union hosting Ihefu FC from 2pm at the Mkwakwani Stadium in Tanga. At the Kaitaba Stadium Kagera Sugar will host Tanzania Prisons from 6pm while Azam FC will play Namungo FC at the Azam Complex from 8.15pm in Dar es Salaam.
The three matches are crucial for all the teams in order to improve their positions in the league standings.
Coastal Union need victory in order to avoid relegation or feature in a playoff against the third-placed team in the Championship.
The Tanga-based team are placed 11th with 30 points from 27 matches, while Ihefu FC are eighth with 33 points from 27 matches.
Polisi Tanzania, who are placed 15th, need to win all of their remaining matches in order to avoid relegation.
Ihefu FC at least can breathe as they will only feature in a playoff if they lose all of their remaining matches.
The Kagera Sugar-Tanzania Prisons encounter is also crucial for both teams to avoid featuring in relegation playoffs due to the total number of points they have collected so far.
Kagera Sugar FC are placed seventh with 35 points from 27 matches, while Tanzania Prisons are ninth with 31 points after playing 27 matches.
The Azam FC-Namungo match is also crucial for both teams as Azam FC are placed third, and victory means they will widen the point gap against Singida Big Stars to maintain their third position.
Azam FC have so far collected 53 points from 27 matches. Namungo FC will be searching for victory in order to replace Geita Gold FC in the fifth place.
