AfricaPress-Tanzania: RELEGATION battle has become intense following the yesterday’s results in the various venues, but the whole kick off was rewarding to Mbao, Mwadui and Mtibwa Sugar.
From Yesterday’s fixture it is now apparent that the teams to join Singida United at the First Division will be known in the last round of the league.
Young Africans who were held by Mtibwa to a 1-1 draw at Jamhuri Stadium in Morogoro remained at the second position, but the draw benefited Mtibwa Sugar, as it temporary lifted them from the relegation zone with 42 points.
Mtibwa Sugar have now forced Mbeya City to remain at the play-off zone, joining Mbao whose 3-0 blitz over Namungo in Mwanza moved them to the 16th position from the 19th position. Mbeya City also with 42 points can change the standings if they win or draw with Azam today.
Mwadui seem to have almost shrugged off relegation threat after beating KMC 1-0 yesterday.
The win has placed the Shinyanga-based side at the 13th position with 44 points after playing 37 matches. But that doesn’t make them completely safe as 19th –placed Ndanda with 40 points,18th –placed Alliance with 41 points and Lipuli with 41 points can easily beat it as three teams at the bottom have two matches in hand.
Four bottom-placed teams will be relegated while two classed at 15th and 16th positions will play in the play-off stage against two teams from the First Division League (FDL).
Going into the 38th round of the league, teams above Tanzania Prisons who are placed 9th can claim to be safe from relegation. The teams include leaders Simba, Yanga, Azam, Namungo, Polisi Tanzania, Kagera Sugar, Coastal Union and JKT Tanzania.
At CCM Kirumba Stadium Mbao managed to rid themselves of a relegation zone after collecting three vital points over Namungo in 3-0 victory.
It was indeed the most shocking results for many football fans in the Premier League but it was not impossible as Mbao played with determination and got three of their goals through Jordan John and Abdulkarim Segeja.
Jordan John’s first half double in 4th minute and 19th minute and Segeja’s goal in the 29th minute were enough to give Mbao a hefty 3-0 victory against Namungo and they remained unanswered in all 90 minutes of the game.
Although Mbao are left with a game in hand, yesterday’s victory has placed them to a play-off stage, as it gives them the possibilities to be in a safe zone if they win their last match.
Namungo’s loss has not affected them from their prior position, as they are still fixed on the fourth place of the log.
In another game, Mtibwa Sugar forced a 1-1draw with Yanga in a tense encounter Jamhuri stadium in Morogoro.
Haruna Chanongo netted an opening goal for Mtibwa Sugar in the 28th minute, but Adeyum Saleh equalised for Yanga in the 83rd minute.
The game was more intense after Yanga equalised, and leading them to commit unnecessary foul that gave Deus Kaseke a red card few minutes to the stoppage time.
With these results Yanga are still firm at the second place with 69 points, while Mtibwa have climbed up to the 14th position.
