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Nine teams battle relegation playoffs as rivals race for title
Azam FC players Prince Dube (left) and Kibwana Shomari celebrate after scoring against Nmaungo FC in the Mainland Tanzania Premier League at the KMC Complex in Dar es Salaam on May 13, 2025. Yanga won 3-0. PHOTO | COURTESY
What you need to know:
- According to league regulations, the two teams finishing at the bottom of the table are automatically relegated.
Dar es Salaam. As the battle for the Mainland Tanzania Premier League title remains a two-horse race between arch-rivals Young Africans (Yanga) and Simba SC, the focus now shifts to the intense fight at the bottom of the table where nine teams are scrambling to avoid relegation playoffs.
Yanga, the defending champions, currently lead the league standings with 73 points from 27 matches.
Their closest challengers, Simba, occupy second place with 69 points from 26 matches. With only a few rounds left, none of the other 14 teams can mathematically catch up to the top two, ensuring that the title chase is strictly between the Dar es Salaam giants.
Elsewhere in the standings, Azam FC and Singida Black Stars have secured spots in the top four, maintaining a comfortable distance from the relegation zone.
Meanwhile, KenGold FC and Kagera Sugar have already been relegated and will feature in the Championship division next season after failing to collect enough points to survive in the top flight.Tabora United, with 37 points from 27 matches, have managed to secure their safety and will not feature in the relegation playoffs.
However, the pressure remains high for several other teams hovering near the danger zone. JKT Tanzania, despite sitting in sixth place with 35 points, are not yet in the clear.
They have two games in hand, which gives them an opportunity to widen the gap from the teams below. Dodoma Jiji FC are in seventh place with 34 points, while Mashujaa FC are eighth with 33 points from 28 matches and KMC in the ninth with 33 points.
The battle becomes tighter in the bottom half of the table. Coastal Union and Namungo FC are both tied on 31 points in ninth and 10th positions respectively.
Pamba Jiji FC, and Tanzania Prisons, are locked on 30 points, occupying the 11th to 13th places. Fountain Gate FC sit in 14th place with 29 points from 28 matches, making their final games crucial for survival.
According to league regulations, the two teams finishing at the bottom of the table are automatically relegated.
The teams that finish in 13th and 14th positions will face each other in a relegation playoff. The loser of that match will then face a team from the Championship division in a final playoff to determine who earns a spot in next season’s Premier League.
