League climax turns tumultuous affair
AN exciting scene has been set up in the elapsing Mainland Premier League season as the golden boot winner will be decided on Friday when the last games stage in different venues.
Surprisingly, Simba’s Saidi Ntibazonkiza has emerged to pile pressure on his Young Africans counterpart and former teammate Fiston Mayele, with one goal separating them.
Until now, it remains a challenging crossword puzzle for both players, with each having one match in hand to play.
With 15 goals, Ntibazonkiza will be forced to score when they host Coastal Union at Azam Complex in their last season assignment.
“I am glad to score five goals. The most important thing for me is to help my team get good results; if I win the golden boot, I will thank God,” Ntibazonkiza said.
Likewise, Mayele, who missed his side’s 3-3 draw against Mbeya City on Tuesday, will be compelled to extend his current 16-goal tally if he features against Tanzania Prisons at Sokoine Stadium in Mbeya.
Apart from the golden boot sprint, another exciting battle is on the playoff escape, for which, according to the current standings, Kinondoni Municipal Council (KMC) and Mbeya City are candidates.
KMC are placed 14th on the log with 29 points while the latter are positioned 13th with 31 points, and they will meet on Friday in Mbeya; if the game ends in a draw, then both sides could head to the playoff.
Meanwhile, the 29th round of the season has fetched 27 goals, with Simba commanding the marksmanship following their 6-1 win over Polisi Tanzania at Azam Complex on Tuesday.
It was also the only match that produced seven goals, followed by the match between Mbeya City and Yanga which produced six goals following a 3-3 draw making this the only fixture to end in a draw.
Mtibwa Sugar also used well their Manungu Complex venue to defeat Kagera Sugar 3-0 while Ihefu punished Geita Gold with a 3-1 win as Singida Big Stars beat Ruvu Shooting 2-1, Coastal Union suffered a 2-0 loss to Azam while Namungo lost 1-0 at home to Dodoma Jiji.
