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Yanga meet Kagera Sugar in high-stakes league duel

Young Africans (Yanga) during the past training session. The team today at 7pm will be facing Kagera Sugar FC in the Tanzania Mainland Premier League encounter at the Azam Complex in Dar es Salaam. PHOTO | COURTESY

By  Majuto Omary

Sports Reporter

Mwananchi Communications Ltd

What you need to know:

  • As Mashujaa FC will at 4pm host KMC at the Lake Tanganyika Stadium in Kigoma, the Yanga-Kagera Sugar encounter will be held at 7pm at the Azam Complex in Dar es Salaam

Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Mainland Premier League defending champions, Young Africans (Yanga), today face the acid test of Kagera Sugar FC as the top tier rolls on at two different venues.

As Mashujaa FC will at 4pm host Kinondoni Municipal Council (KMC) at the Lake Tanganyika Stadium in Kigoma, the Yanga-Kagera Sugar encounter will be held at 7pm at the Azam Complex in Dar es Salaam.

The matches are crucial for the four teams in order to improve their statuses in the league standings.

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Yanga are at the top with 65 points and victory over Kagera Sugar will make them collect 68 points and continue their pace of defending the title well.

Yanga need at least eight points to be officially crowned the Mainland Tanzania champions for the third time in a row.

Kagera Sugar are placed seventh with 30 points from 25 matches and victory  over Yanga will somehow make them avoid the demotion zone as they will collect 33 points.

Mashujaa FC, for their part, also need victory over KMC to avoid the relegation zone as they are currently placed 14th with 23 points from 25 matches.

KMC are likely fighting to be among the top five finishers in the league and victory will make them leapfrog Coastal Union in the fourth position. So far KMC, who are fifth, have collected 33 points while Coastal Union are with 34 points from 25 games.

However, all eyes and ears will likely be directed at the Azam Complex, where  the Yanga-Kagera Sugar match is expected to be nail-biting due to the teams’ previous results.

In their first leg held on February 2 at the Kaitaba Stadium in Kagera Region, the two teams recorded a goalless draw. Yanga head coach Miguel Gamondi predicted a tough match, but said they would target victory in the encounter.

“It is going to be a tough match as we know the strength of Kagera Sugar FC in the league. Our task is to defend the title and the only way to achieve that is to record victory,” said Gamondi.

For his part, Kagera Sugar head coach Fred Felix Minziro said they are facing a tough team, but added that their mission and vision is to win the encounter.

Minziro expressed that his players are in top form ahead of the tie, saying that he knows the strength and weakness of the Jangwani Street side.

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