No time to rest, giants stress

DAR ES SALAAM: THE Mainland Premier League title race might be going down to the wire, after title contenders – Young Africans SC and Simba SC each recorded emphatic 5-0 victories on Wednesday, Yanga dismantling Tanzania Prisons and Simba overwhelming KenGold, to keep their title hopes alive with two matches remaining.

Yanga maintain their slender lead at the top of the table with 76 points, just one ahead of Simba, who sit second with 75. With the final game of the season seeing the two giants face each other, both clubs are treating every remaining fixture as a must-win.

The tension is palpable ahead of this Sunday’s penultimate round of matches, with Yanga facing Dodoma Jiji and Simba up against Kagera Sugar. A slip-up by either side could prove fatal to their title ambitions. Yanga’s Tunisian Head Coach, Miloud Hamdi, while pleased with his side’s dominant performance, remained composed and cautious when speaking to reporters after the win.

“It’s too early to talk about the title,” Hamdi said.

“Yes, we won convincingly and the players executed the game plan perfectly, but there are still two matches to go against Dodoma Jiji and Simba. These are the games that will ultimately decide the title.”

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Yanga are seeking their fourth consecutive league title – a streak Simba themselves managed in recent years. Hamdi praised his players’ discipline and determination against Prisons, but stressed that the team cannot afford to let up.

“Our objective was clear – win and get three points. I am proud of how the boys played today. But we are not done yet. Every point counts and we must stay focused,” he said.

Simba’s Coach, Fadlu Davids, echoed his counterpart’s sentiment, highlighting the need for continued preparation and focus as his side returns to Dar es Salaam to regroup.

“We start travelling tomorrow, back to Dar es Salaam, then into camp and recovery ahead of the Kagera Sugar game,” said Davids.

“We know it’s not only Kagera – we have to think about the Young Africans match after that. Recovery and freshness are important. The players did their job today (Wednesday), and now the focus is on finishing strong.”

Davids acknowledged that despite KenGold already being relegated, the match posed a different kind of challenge, with individual players keen to impress and earn contracts.

“It was important for us to do our job and play at a high level. Some of the players were playing for visibility, and that’s what we saw – strong individual performances.”

Should both teams win their upcoming fixtures this Sunday, the league title will be decided in a dramatic finalday showdown on 25 June.

For Simba, only victory in that decisive match will suffice. A draw would see Yanga retain the crown, while a win would secure them a fourth successive championship.

With everything still to play for, the message from both camps is clear: No time to celebrate, no time to rest.