Premature title win dilutes league thrill

Young Africans’ prelature title haul over the
weekend has completely halted the usual
excitement as fans are left to wait for another
season.
The newly crowned Mainland champions realise
their feat after another hot contender Azam FC
failed to beat Tanga’s Coastal Union in their
return leg match played at the Mkwakwani
Stadium in Tanga on Saturday.
Yanga won the title by default as they have
attained unassailable 56-point ceiling as the
rest of the 13 teams competing in the league
fell short of the target.
It has been a he relief for the team’s coach,
management and players as they avoided
agonising wait after the marathon league.
However, the fans have been robbed of the
excitement as a competitive title chase down to
the wire gives them an extra comfort to
follow.
With most of the teams including the newly
crowned champions have at least two matches
to play before winding up the season, football
fans might lose interest in most of the
matches. The only excitement remaining so far
is which team would join Police Morogoro in
the road to the relegation and the much
awaited derby between champs and Simba.
The match between dethroned champs Simba
and Young Africans will be a formality one to
wind up the league and its competitive nature
is based on rivalry but not title.
Yanga have won the title with 56 points after
24 appearances losing two games all to sugar
processors Mtibwa and Kagera.
The lost games were during the early stages of
the league as the team kicked off horribly
before winning stability thereafter.
Yanga kicked off the second half of the season
with an impressive show without losing a game
despite dropping some points through draws.
The relegation battle is now left for Police
Moro who were expected to play Simba at the
national Stadium yesterday.
Toto Africa and African Lyon have already
booked their flight in the relegation flight as
they look forward to fight back next season.
The three teams that would replace Toto,
African Lyon and the other teams are Ashanti
from Dares Salaam, Mbeya City and Rhino
Rangers of Tabora. The new season is expected
to kick off later in August or early September.
The fight for league’s runners-up position is
still in the strong hands of Azam and Kagera
Sugar to some extent.