TFF decorates 2022/23 season’s best players

The 2022/23 Premier League golden boot winner puzzle will be resolved today as the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) conducts the season’s Awards gala at the federation’s technical centre in Mnyanjani, Tanga.

Best football achievers for the ended campaign are to be acknowledged in the event.

However, much focus of the sports fraternity is on who will walk away with the prestigious golden boot accord after Young Africans striker Fiston Mayele and his Simba counterpart Saidi Ntibazonkiza finished the league mission with 17 goals apiece.

After they tied on 17 goals, the federation delayed declaring the winner pending a meeting by the Awards committee; hence, whether the duo share the boot will be known today.

The chase for the golden boot prize was blown wide open when Ntibazonkiza pumped in five goals in their 6-1 triumph over Polisi Tanzania, which drove him to 15 goals, just one goal away from catching up with Mayele, who then had 16.

As such, the race had to escalate in their final fixtures. Ntibazonkiza netted a brace against Coastal Union to reach 17 goals, while Mayele scored one goal versus Tanzania Prisons to produce 17 goals.

Here is where the drama began as to who was eligible to pocket the golden boot whose solution will be known today.

Meanwhile, nominees for the Best Player of the Season Award are Mzamiru Yassin (Simba), Fiston Mayele (Yanga), Bruno Gomes (Singida Big Stars), Djigui Diarra (Yanga) and Saidi Ntibazonkiza (Simba).

For the Best Defender Award, there  are Dickson Job (Yanga), Henock Inonga (Simba), Bakari Mwamnyeto (Simba), Shomari Kapombe (Simba) and Mohamed Hussein (Simba).

In the category of Best Midfielder, the nominees are Bruno Gomes (Singida Big Stars), Mzamiru Yassin (Simba), Stephanie Aziz Ki (Yanga), Clatous Chama (Simba) and Saidi Ntibazonkiza (Simba).

Ntibazonkiza is a contender of three different categories, which means he had a lucrative 2022/23 season, as his overall performance at Simba and Geita Gold was convincing.

There are also several other categories for sportsmen and women to be recognised, which catalyses them to do much better next season.