Mapinduzi Cup starts today as winners to pocket Sh100 million
Azam FC players during a past training session. The team today play against Mlandege FC in the Mapinduzi Cup opening match. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- The group A match has been scheduled to kick off at 4.15pm and each team is targeting to win the encounter
Dar es Salaam. Mainland Tanzania Premier League big guns, Azam FC, today take on the defending champions of the Mapinduzi Cup, Mlandege FC, in the opening match at the Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar.
The group A encounter has been scheduled to kick off at 4.15pm and each team is targeting to win the encounter.
Mlandege FC head coach Hassan Pele said all his players are in good shape and ready to face Azam FC in the encounter.
Pele said their target is to retain the title that they won last season. “You need to win in order to retain the title. It is going to be a tough match as we are facing one of the top teams in the country,” said Pele.
He said players have trained well ahead of the encounter and they are just waiting to show their commitment.
“We have good players, who, we believe, will make us proud after the encounter,” he said.
For his part, Azam FC assistant Coach Youssoupha Dabo said they are not underestimating their rivals in the encounter, explaining that he believes his players will come out with a good result.
After the match, the fixture shows that Vital’O of Burundi will face Chipukizi FC in another group A match from 8.15pm.
Meanwhile, the winners of the Mapinduzi Cup will take home Sh100 million, the secretary general of the organizing committee of the tournament, Nasra Juma, said yesterday. In the previous edition, the winners were awarded Sh35 million.
Juma said the second placed team will pocket Sh70million, thanks to the tournament sponsors.
She explained that apart from the lucrative prizes, the committee has set prizes for the best player of the match, best goalkeeper, top scorer and others. Besides Vital’O, other foreign teams are Jamus of South Sudan and APR of Rwanda.
Other Mainland Tanzania teams, aside from Azam FC, are Young Africans (Yanga), Simba, and Singida Fountain Gate as Zanzibar teams include JKU, KVZ, Chipukizi and Jamhuri.
The tournament marks its 18th season since its inception in 2007 with records showing that Azam FC have won the title five times, followed by Simba four times.
The tournament coincides with the 60th anniversary of the Zanzibar Revolution that took place on January 12, 1964.
The finals of this season will be held on January 13 at the renovated Amaan Stadium.
