Yanga, Simba, Polisi stamp authority in 28th round

Young Africans, Simba, and Polisi Tanzania have emerged heavy winners of the 28th Premier League round, officially declaring the former as the 2022/23 season champions.

Yanga defeated Dodoma Jiji 4-2 at Azam Complex in Dar es Salaam, a win that guaranteed them the 29th league title, and they have won it twice in a row.

For the Msimbazi Street Reds, they mercilessly punished Ruvu Shooting 3-0 at the same venue as the latter officially parted ways with the top-flight league after succumbing to demotion to the Championship league.

On the other hand, Polisi Tanzania breathed a sigh of relief when they hammered Mtibwa Sugar 3-1 at Ushirika Stadium in Moshi to revive a slight hope of staying in the league.

Azam and Singida Big Stars are the only top-four sides on the log to succumb to losses in the 28th round of the Premier League, which has fetched 21 goals.

The Ice cream makers went down 2-1 to Namungo at Majaliwa Stadium in Lindi over the weekend, but still, they stayed in third place on the table despite the setback.

A victory could have seen them establishing a six-point gap over the Lindi-based outfits; hence the top three finish race is wide open to both teams meaning that the last two fixtures will be decisive.

Similarly, Singida Big Stars’ lost 2-0 to KMC at Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam on the day, but they still maintained the fourth slot on the table.

It was their seventh loss of the campaign, just like Azam, who have also suffered seven defeats, and this scenario makes the top three finish of the season interesting, and the marathon is between the two teams.

At Kaitaba Stadium, hosts Kagera Sugar suffered a 1-0 loss to Tanzania Prisons, while at Nyankumbu Stadium in Geita, Geita Gold also went down 1-0 to Mbeya City in another tense match of the round.

However, Coastal Union utilised a well home-ground advantage to punish Ihefu 1-0, and the two teams are tied on 33 points, with the former occupying 10th place and the latter being 9th on the ladder.

Until now, only Ruvu Shooting have been officially relegated, with two games to go before the campaign ends. Polisi Tanzania are fighting for the play off-stage, hoping to win their subsequent two encounters.