Dar giants stare at crown
DAR ES SALAAM: THE 2024/25 Mainland Premier League title race is set for a thrilling finale as Tanzanian giants Young Africans and Simba SC prepare for a decisive showdown at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam this Wednesday.
The clash, dubbed the Dar Derby, will determine this season’s champion in what has become a twohorse race. Both clubs kept their title hopes alive with crucial wins on Sunday.
Young Africans hammered Dodoma Jiji 5-0 at the New Amaan Complex in Zanzibar, while Simba SC edged out alreadyrelegated Kagera Sugar 1-0 at the KMC Complex in Dar es Salaam. Following those results, Young Africans remain top of the table with 79 points, just one point ahead of secondplaced Simba, with both sides having played 29 matches.
The equation is simple: Young Africans need a win or draw on Wednesday to clinch the title, while Simba have no margin for error only a win will see them crowned champions. As anticipation builds across the country, Dar es Salaam is expected to come to a standstill on Wednesday.
The derby will not only decide the league winner, but also settle several individual accolades. One such accolade is the Golden Glove, which has already been claimed by Simba’s Moussa Camara.
ALSO READ: CECAFA Women Championship goes unnoticed as Simba-Yanga drama holds the nation hostage
The goalkeeper has kept an impressive 18 clean sheets, outperforming his closest rival Djigui Diarra of Young Africans, who has 15 clean sheets. With only one match remaining, Diarra can no longer surpass Camara.
Another fierce battle is for the Golden Boot. Jean Ahoua currently leads the scoring chart with 16 goals, ahead of his teammates Steven Mukwala and Leonel Ateba, both on 13 goals, a tally matched by Young Africans forwards Prince Dube and Clement Mzize. Wednesday’s derby could well decide the top scorer of the season.
While all eyes are on the title decider, six other matches were played yesterday as teams wrapped up their league campaigns. One of the standout results came from Namungo, who mirrored Young Africans with a 5-0 thrashing of relegated Kengold.
Elsewhere, there was late drama in the match between Singida Black Stars and Tanzania Prisons. Singida raced to a 3-0 lead by the 47th minute, only for Prisons to mount a stunning comeback and salvage a 3-3 draw.
A similar scare occurred in the clash between Azam FC and Fountain Gate. Azam went into half-time with a 2-0 advantage but were pegged back in the second half. Fortunately for Azam, a late goal ensured a 3-2 victory and all three points.
Despite these battles, the season is not yet over for Tanzania Prisons and Fountain Gate, who must now compete in the playoffs to retain their topflight status. The winner of their tie will stay in the Premier League, while the loser will face Stand United, the lower division playoff winners, for one final shot at survival.
