AfricaPress-Tanzania: ALL is set for the 2019/20 Mainland Premier League Awards set at Mlimani City in Dar es Salaam tonight. Contenders will compete in ten categories with each group having three people to fight for the prestigious Awards.
The first category is the Best Player Award which has attracted Nicolas Wadada (Azam FC), Clatous Chama (Simba SC) and Bakari Mwamnyeto (Coastal Union).
The second package is the Best Goal Award and here, the contenders are Sadallah Lipangile (KMC v Mtibwa Sugar), Louis Miquissone (Simba v Alliance) and Patson Shikala (Mbeya City v JKT Tanzania).
The other pack is the Best Young Player which is competed by Kelvin Kijiri (KMC), Dickson Job (Mtibwa Sugar) and Novatus Dismas (Biashara United).
The Best Goalkeeper Award will be tussled by Daniel Mgore (Biashara United), Nourdine Balora (Namungo FC) and Aishi Manula (Simba SC).
However, three teams to compete for the Most Disciplined Team Award are Coastal Union, Kagera Sugar and Mwadui FC.
The Best Referee Award is fought by Ahmed Aragija (Manyara), Ramadhan Kayoko (Dar es Salaam) and Abdallah Mwinyimkuu (Singida).
Moreover, the Best Assistant Referee Award is contested by Frank Komba (Dar es Salaam), Abdulaziz Ally (Arusha) and Hamdan Said (Mtwara).
On the other hand, the nominees for the list Best Coach Award are Sven Vandenbroeck (Simba), Hitimana Thierry (Namungo) and Aristica Cioaba (Azam FC).
The players vying for the Best Defender Award are Bakari Mwamnyeto (Coastal Union), David Luhende (Kagera Sugar) and Nico Wadada (Azam FC).
The race for the Best Midfielder Award has drawn together Lucas Kikoti (Namungo FC), Clatous Chama (Simba SC) and Mapinduzi Balama (Young Africans).
Meanwhile, Authorities at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam said the exercise to rebrand the venue is taking long time because they want to come up with unique innovation to befit the fallen hero.
President John Magufuli directed that the 60,000 capacity venue should be re-named Benjamin Mkapa Stadium from the previous National Stadium as one way to remember his contributions towards sports development in the country.
The stadium’s manager Nsajigwa Gordon insisted that experts are working on how to rebrand the name so as to respect the late Mkapa.
“Even we wanted this issue to be accomplished by now but upon realising how big it is, we are just waiting the concerned experts to finalise the rebranding job and soon, the changes will be made,” he said.
He added: “We want everybody to appreciate when the exercise will be over especially considering how respectful his name is to the whole country.”
On the day, Magufuli made the directive during the state funeral event at Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam to bid last respect to former president Benjamin Mkapa who was laid to rest at Lupaso Village in Masasi District, Mtwara.
“I know that Tanzanians will never forget Mkapa for doing a great job to construct the stadium seen before us. “For now, many people want the stadium to be renamed Mkapa stadium. I know Mkapa was not interested to name things using his name but because I have received many messages and that he cannot resist it, I now declare the venue to be known as Mkapa stadium,” Magufuli said.
He said the decision to rename the magnificent stadium was reached so as to continue remembering his good works done for the purpose of promoting sports in the country.
