AfricaPress-Tanzania: WHILE Simba dance majestically an inch close to the finishing line, there is a bowl of thorny soup for thirteen teams facing relegation inferno.
Simba’s 2-0 victory over Mbeya City at Sokoine Stadium was buoyed by Azam 1-0 loss to Kagera Sugar at Kaitaba stadium in Bukoba and Young Africans’ 2-2 draw with Namungo at the National Stadium in Dares Salaam.
Already parading 78 points, Simba need two points to reclaim the league throne as their closest challengers; Azam and Yanga can attain 79 and 78 maximum points respectively if they win all their seven remaining matches.
Wednesday matches were too decisive and almost ended the league fever with Simba very close to the league diadem.
The remaining seven matches will be a do or die task for fifteen teams which have garnered not more than 50 points.
From the latest standings six teams; Simba with 78 points, Azam with 58 points, Yanga with 57th points, and Namungo with 55 and Coastal Union with 48 points seem safe from relegation even if they lose all their remaining matches.
Singida United are already assured exit with 15 points at the bottom of the table, but Mbao FC who have pocketed 26 points and Mbeya City who are crawling at the 18th position with 30 points are engaged in the mission impossible to shrug off relegation danger.
Four teams face relegation this season so as to enable the next season league accommodate 18 teams and later to reduce to 16 teams the following season.
Mbao who pegged three points in their recent 1-0 over Coastal Union can pocket 47 points if they win their seven remaining matches while Mbeya City with 30 points can attain 57 maximum points, a situation that forced to fight tooth to win if they want to be in the top flight league next season.
Relegation ghost also haunts three teams placed at 17th, 16th and 15th positions; Alliance with 33 points, Lipuli with 34 points and Ndanda with 35 points.
The trio can anytime bid bye to the league only convincing wins of at least five matches of the league will make them safe.
Alliance can reach 54 points, Lipuli can attain 55 points mark and Ndanda 56 points if the work hard and win 21 points from the seven-game mission.
The relegation danger-zone is also threatening KMC with 36 points, Mwadui and Mtibwa Sugar with 37 points each.
Three teams are among the regular big performers, but this time they have to pull up their socks and win by any margin or else it will be their last season in the premiership.
Four teams, though placed at the middle of nowhere, they too must approach the remaining seven games with caution as about a three-quarter of the 20-team league can be troubled by relegation.
Kagera Sugar with 44 points, Biashara United with 43 points,Tanzania Prisons who parade 42 points and Ruvu Shooting 41 points, should not feel the battle is over as they too can crash out of the league they treat their remaining matches with a velvet glove. Simba face Tanzania Prisons in Mbeya this Sunday and if they win again, the title race will be over then.
