The Malian international currently tops the standings with 13 clean sheets, placing him on course to finish the season as the league’s best-performing goalkeeper
Dar es Salaam. As the NBC Premier League enters its final five matches of the 2025/26 season, Young Africans (Yanga) goalkeeper Djigui Diarra has once again emerged as the leading contender in the clean-sheet race, reinforcing a growing trend in Tanzanian football where foreign goalkeepers continue to dominate the country's top flight.
The Malian international currently tops the standings with 13 clean sheets, placing him on course to finish the season as the league’s best-performing goalkeeper and further highlighting the increasing influence of imported shot-stoppers in a competition where foreign keepers have consistently set the benchmark for defensive excellence.
According to the latest clean-sheet rankings, Diarra has registered 13 clean sheets, ahead of Simba SC’s Mohamedou Kassaly of Niger with 12 and Azam FC’s Aishi Manula with 11.
The top four places are occupied by foreign goalkeepers, with Rwanda’s Jean Noel of Tabora United sitting fourth on 10 clean sheets.
The trend is not new
A look back at the 2024/25 season shows a similar pattern. Simba’s Guinea international Moussa Camara finished as the league’s best goalkeeper in terms of clean sheets with 19, while Diarra was second with 17.
Tanzania’s Patrick Mntalai of Mashujaa was the highest-ranked local goalkeeper in third place with 12 clean sheets. The numbers suggest that foreign goalkeepers have become increasingly influential in determining the fortunes of Tanzania’s leading clubs.
In the current season, three of the top four clean-sheet leaders are foreigners. Last season, the top two positions were also occupied by foreign shot-stoppers.
The consistency of players such as Diarra, Camara and Kassaly demonstrates why clubs continue to invest in experienced goalkeepers from across the continent.
Diarra’s impact has been particularly remarkable. Since joining Yanga, the Malian international has transformed the club's defensive stability and has remained one of the most reliable performers in the league.
His command of the penalty area, distribution and leadership have made him a key figure in Yanga’s pursuit of another league title.
The clean-sheet race also mirrors the current league standings. Yanga, Simba and Azam boast some of the strongest defensive records in the competition and occupy the top positions in the table.
With Yanga and Simba locked in a fierce title battle and Azam maintaining pressure behind them, defensive solidity has proven just as important as attacking firepower.
Recent league statistics show Yanga and Simba among the teams with the fewest goals conceded this season.
Another notable feature is that foreign goalkeepers are no longer confined to the traditional giants.
Jean Noel (Gabon) at TRA United (former Tabora United) and several other imported keepers at mid-table clubs have emerged among the league’s best performers, suggesting that teams increasingly view experienced foreign goalkeepers as a shortcut to defensive improvement.
However, the data also shows that local goalkeepers remain competitive. Manula continues to rank among the league’s elite despite fierce competition, while Zanzibar-born Zuberi Foba has maintained a strong presence for Azam.
Goalkeepers such as Yona Amos (Pamba Jiji), Ramadhani Chalamanda (JKT Tanzania) and Mlussa Mbisa (Tanzania Prisons) have also demonstrated that Tanzanian talent remains capable of competing at the highest level.
