THE increased winners’ package to a pulsating 30m/- has added a dimension to the forthcoming Mapinduzi Cup.
On Friday the organisers named twelve teams eligible to compete in the Mapinduzi Cup to commence on January 1st next year in Zanzibar.
This was revealed in Zanzibar by the Chairman of the Mapinduzi Cup championship committee, Khamis Abdulla Said when announcing the teams that will participate in the cup championship.
The chairman noted that Mapinduzi Cup, which is held annually at the Amaan Stadium in Unguja, Zanzibar has picked five teams from Zanzibar and five teams from the Mainland while only one team will come from Burundi.
“In this year the competition will bring together 12 teams where five teams from the mainland including Young Africans, Simba, Azam, Singida Big Stars and Namungo.
The other five teams are from the Zanzibar islands that including KVZ, KMKM, Malindi, Mlandege, Jamhuri and Chipukizi while one team from Burundi is Aigle Noir Makamba FC.
Also, Khamis, said the preparations are going well where this season the champion will get 30m/-, a trophy and gold medals and the second winner will get 20m/-, silver medals and a trophy.
In another step, Khamis said that the committee has called on various stakeholders to contribute to the competition which is part of the 59th anniversary of the Glorious Revolution of Zanzibar.
In history, Azam FC command the Mapinduzi Cup tally; where they won the title five times and started their title campaign in 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Also, the defending champion of Mapinduzi Cup 2023 Simba are in the second place where they won the title three times in 2011 for the first time also in 2015 they won a second tittle and in 2022 as a defending champion.
In the third place are Mtibwa Sugar and Young Africans where they have won the title of Mapinduzi Cup twice as Mtibwa Sugar won in 2010 and 2020, while Young Africans won in 2004 and 2021.
Other teams that have won this title are Jamhuri, Polisi SC, KMKM, Mafunzo, Malindi, Miembeni, Kampala City Council and Uganda Revenue Authority.
Apart from that also the history shows that Azam FC is the only team that won the title three years in a row in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
In 2017 Azam won 1-0 against Simba, also in 2018 they won 4-3 through sport-kicks against Uganda Revenue Authority and in 2019 won 2-1 against Simba.