Biashara, Mbeya Kwanza FC relegated from Premiership

Dar es Salaam. Biashara United Mara have joined Mbeya Kwanza FC in relegation from the Mainland Tanzania Premier League.

Biashara United Mara, who lost 4-1 to Azam FC at the Azam Complex in the city yesterday, will now play in the Championship formerly known as the First Division League.

The team were promoted to the 2018/19 Mainland Premier League season and the just ended season was third for them in their history while Mbeya Kwanza FC were promoted to the just ended season.

In playoffs, Mtibwa Sugar will face Tanzania Prisons and the winner will face JKT Tanzania who qualified for the stage after eliminating Kitayose in the Championship division. The winner of the encounter will be promoted to the next season NBC Premier League. Azam FC have booked space to represent the country in the CAF Confederation Cup following their 4-1 victory over Biashara United Mara yesterday while Geita Golf FC will have to ‘pray’ for Yanga to win over Coastal Union in the Azam Federation Cup final match in order for them to qualify for the CAF Confederation Cup. Geita Gold FC recorded a 1-1 draw against Coastal Union in their final match played yesterday at the Mkwakwani Stadium in Tanga.

The league also saw George Mpole winning the Golden Boot after scoring 17 goals to beat his close challenger, Fiston Mayele, of Yanga who scored 16 goals. In scoring goals, Mohammed “Mmachinga” Hussein’s record is yet to be broken in the Mainland Premier League.

Mmachinga managed to score 26 goals in the 1997 league season while Mtibwa Sugar’s Abdallah Juma is second after scoring 25 goals and Meddie Kagere of Simba scored 23 goals in the 2018/19 season and in the 2019/20 season Kagere scored 22 goals. Yanga’s Amisi Tambwe scored 21 goals and Emmanuel Okwi scored 20 goals while with Simba in the 2017/18 season.

Again, the list has Amisi Tambwe when he played for Simba in the 2013/14 season and John Bosco (with Azam FC) in the 2011/2012 season. The pair scored 19 goals each.

Meanwhile, the Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB) has announced that the next Mainland Tanzania Premier League will start on August 17. According to the TPLB and the Tanzania Football Federation’s calendar, the Community Shield match will be played on August 13. The Community Shield encounter will involve the Mainland Premier League champions, Young Africans (Yanga) and the winners of the Azam Sports Federation Cup (ASFC).

If it happens that league winners have also clinched the ASFC trophy, then the season opener will be between the league winners against the runner-ups.

The final encounters to wrap up the 2022/23 campaign will be held on May 27, 2023 and the league will end in May, 2023.