Author: NASSIR NCHIMBI
AfricaPress-Tanzania: AZAM Football Club will today host Ihefu FC in a fixture, which is among the 24th round of this season’s Vodacom Premier League matches, at the Azam Complex in Dar es Salaam.
Ihefu FC will be coming out firing on all cylinders, given the squad is in quest of league survival.
George Lwandamina, Azam FC’s head coach, noted his players are ready for their Vodacom Premier League match against Ihefu FC which is expected to be played at their venue at Mbagala.
The first match between the two clubs was played in Mbeya, with Ihefu FC losing 2-0 to Azam FC, the former thus will be eagerly looking to get revenge in today fixture.
Lwandamina pointed out he knows there will be a lot of competition on the field due to the battle for league safety as well as quest for collecting maximum points but he believes everything will be fine for his side.
“The players are all right and they realize that at the moment the second round the competition is huge so they will enter the field in search of victory to achieve the goals we have set,” he stated.
Azam FC enter this clash after coming from another frustrating 0-0 draw away to Mwadui FC at the latters’ backyard Mwadui Complex in Shinyanga on March 6 this year.
The hosts will be without their top scorer, Prince Dube, who is expected to stay out of action for two weeks due to an injury he picked in the match against Mwadui FC.
Dube, who has eight goals in the Vodacom Premier League, sustained a hamstring injury on the 25th minute of the fixture.
According to Azam FC doctor Mwanandi Mwankemwa, the forward will be out for two weeks before returning to the field.
He stated: “Dube will be out for a week whilst receiving care and treatment and next week he will start light training to get back to normal state.”
“After completing those two weeks off the field he will be tested again to see if he is fit to either return to competitive matches or wait again, but our fans should not be afraid, everything will be fine,” Mwankwema said.
Zuber Katwila, Ihefu FC head coach, noted winning on the pitch is most important.
“We need victory in our matches to get positive results, the competition is intense and we are fighting to be at our best so as to be safe from relegation and gain more momentum,” he said.
Katwila’s squad will be visiting Azam Complex after losing two straight league games at home against league’s high fliers Biashara United and league debutants Gwambina FC.
Ihefu FC, positioned 16th in the league’s standing with a total of 20 points, meets Azam FC which sits third in the top flight with 41 points, with both having featured in 23 games.
Azam FC’s number one goalkeeper, Ugandan Martin Kigonya, and Ihefu FC’s goal tender, Deogratius Munishi, are both new entrants to their sides, having been roped in during the December mini transfer window.
This will be another entertaining clash at Azam Complex, which holds 10,000 people.
The venue has been recognized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and it is used by Namungo FC to battle it out in the CAF Conferedation Cup matches.
