Top four Tanzania Premier League teams secure 2023’s CAF slots
What you need to know:
- The teams have secured the CAF slops after collecting points that cannot be reached by other 12 teams as per the current league standings
Dar es Salaam. Four top teams in the Mainland Tanzania NBC Premier League, Young Africans (Yanga), Simba, Azam FC and Singida Big Stars have qualified for the continental club championships (Caf Champions League and Confederation Cup) for the 2023/2024 edition.
The teams have secured the CAF slops after collecting points that cannot be reached by other 12 teams as per the current league standings.
Among the four teams, Yanga are so far the only club that have secured the chance of competing in the CAF Champions League after collecting points that only Simba can reach if they win all of their remaining five matches.
Simba can also qualify for the CAF Champions League if they collect four more points in the league to reach 64 that neither Singida Big Stars with 51 points from 26 matches nor Azam FC with 50 points from 26 matches can reach.
However, either of Singida Big Stars or Azam FC can qualify for the CAF Champions League if they win their remaining matches while Simba lose their remaining games.
The Mainland Tanzania League standings show that the fifth placed Geita Gold FC, who have so far collected 37 points from 26 matches, can collect up to 49 points if they win all of their four remaining games and cannot beat Azam FC who have collected 50 points.
As per the African football governing body (CAF)’s regulations, Tanzania are among 12 countries that are required to field two teams in the African Champions League for the next edition. Tanzania have so far collected 30.5 points and are placed 11th in the standings.
However, the points can increase depending on the performance of traditional rivals, Young Africans (Yanga) who have entered the CAF Confederation Cup quarterfinal and Simba, who have qualified for the CAF Champions League quarterfinals respectively. As per the CAF rules and regulations, Yanga have added two points for having qualified for the quarterfinals while Simba will add three points in the same stage if the two teams do not advance to the semifinals.
Yanga will add three points if they enter the semifinals of the CAF Confederation Cup and Simba will add four points if they sail through to the semis of the CAF Champions League.
So far, nine teams in the NBC League are in danger of being demoted to the Championship League formerly the First Division.
The teams are Polisi Tanzania, who are at the bottom of the league standings with 19 points from 26 matches, Ruvu Shooting, who are placed second from the bottom with 20 points and the same number of matches, 14th placed KMC with 26 points from 26 matches and 13th placed Mbeya City with 27 points from 26 matches,
Also, on the list are Coastal Union (12th, 27 points), Dodoma Jiji (11th, 28 points), Tanzania Prisons (10th, 28 points), Mtibwa Sugar (9th, 29 points), and Kagera Sugar, who are placed eighth with 32 points from 26 matches. As per the league rules and regulations, the two bottom-placed teams (16th and 15th) will directly be demoted to the Championship League.
If Polisi Tanzania win all of their four remaining matches, they will collect a total of 31 points, while Ruvu Shooting will garner 32 points. Teams to feature in playoffs against third and fourth placed teams from the Championship League are KMC and Mbeya City.
