Author: ELKANA KUHENGA
AfricaPress-Tanzania: TENSION, excitement and fever are apparent as the Premier League clubs are busy finalising preparations for the 2020/21 season openers this Sunday.
The season openers come after the end of hectic transfer window and the pre-season drills whose activities were much dominated by three Dar-es Salaam-based giants; Simba, Young Africans and Azam.
Prior to its kick off, the trio stole the show with varieties of activities most notably Simba Day, Mwananchi Week and Chamazi Sports Festival, all three had a huge attendance.
Also, though lacked a huge attendance, teams like Namungo, Mwadui, Kagera Sugar,Mtibwa Sugar, Mbeya City and the newly promoted Gwambina and Dodoma Jiji had a fairly good show in the transfer while on other hand relegated teams like Mbao and Alliance recorded the biggest loss of key players.
Heading into the season opener, it will be a skill-showdown between home groomed players and the imports besides the usual team-work and competitiveness.
Young Africans will parading a Serbian, Zlatko Krmpotic, in the club’s zeal to challenge Sven Vandenbroek success after helping Simba to lift three major titles.
League enthusiast are hoping to see the best from Kenyan Joash Onyango, Zambian Larry Bwalya while their traditional rivals Yanga will be banking on Congolese Tuisila Kisinda, Tonombe Mukoko and Angolan Carlos Guimarães do Carmo “Carlinhos”,
Azam, who finished third overall, are also heading for a specular start, and the club’s skipper, Agrey Moris has called upon the club’s fans to join hands and support their transition after the completing the signings of new squad members.
The skipper noted these as he spoke with journalist at Azam Complex Stadium in Chamazi, Dar es Salaam where he insisted that his squad is determined to show quality but they only need time to build connection between players.
“We call upon all our supporters to maintain their trust and support to our squad, as they are so essential to ensure the players spirit grow and unified.”
“I am grateful seeing our squad is getting better every day, and the competition has been great and every player has been committed too. Looking at the technical bench everyone is doing their job perfectly.”
Azam have signed Novatus Dismas who won the Mainland Premier League Young Player of the Season award, Alain Thierry Akono from Cameroon, Prince Dube from Highlanders FC of Zimbabwe.
Other players include goalkeeper David Kissu, defender Emmanuel Charles, Awesu Awesu, Ally Niyonzima, Ismail Aziz and Ayoub Lyanga.
He added that “in this year we have set a goal to do well so I call upon our fans to come in large numbers on Monday and support our club as it face Tanzania Prisons.”
Azam will begin their title race as it face Tanzania Prisons at their home stadium Azam Complex.
In pre-seasons Azam FC faced Prisons and ended with a 1-1, won 1-0 against Kinondoni Municipal Council and 2-1 against Namungo FC.
In 2019/20 season, Azam finished third overall after collecting 70 points from 20 wins, ten draw while losing eight games.
At the top were Simba who lifted the throne after hauling 88 points, followed by Young Africans who bagged 72 points and at the fourth were Namungo FC with 68 points.
