Five stadiums to host league ties

National Stadium

The eighth round of the premier football league gets underway as five venues will be hosting as many matches across the Mainland.

Focus will be highlighted on two matches involving teams that are at the top of the standings table, Simba and Azam.

Holders Simba will be at home to visiting Kagera Sugar in Dar es Salaam’s National Stadium as Azam have travelled all the way to Mbeya to meet newly promoted Tanzania Prisons at the Sokoine Stadium.

Troubled JKT Ruvu are visiting Morogoro to honour their fixture against Police team at the Jamhuri Stadium.

Another JKT team from Oljoro are at home to African Lyon as newly promoted Mgambo JKT entertain lake-side Toto Africa from Mwanza.

High-flying Simba, who enjoy a narrow one-point gap over fervent Azam, need an outright victory to maintain their lead.

Simba will be the first team to hit a twenty-point mark should they post a win over defiant Kagera Sugar.

The visitors are coached by Abdallah Kibaden who used to feature and then coach Simba as a player and coach, respectively.

Kibaden has already stamped his authority after downing Yanga during their October 8 match played at the Kaitaba Stadium in Bukoba.

The title holders and league leaders have also been boosted by recovery of striker Mrisho Ngasa who missed a crucial match against Coastal Union in Tanga last weekend on injury grounds.

The arrival of their Ugandan striker Emmanuel Okwi also heightens Simba forward line in today’s tie.

Azam have dropped paltry two points when they visited Mwanza during the second round of the league last month.

The ice-cream makers have a match in hand as they meet Tanzania Prisons in Mbeya with a huge possibility to pile up pressure on leaders Simba should they post victory.

In Morogoro, JKT Ruvu will be playing against hosts Police without their three first-choice players who are nursing injuries.

The hosts, who are at the base of the standings table, might capitalise on their opponents’ weakness but it is not known as to what is in store for the planned substitutes.

In Arusha, visiting African Lyon have a tall order as they urgently need to disengage from the relegation tunnel and shock hosts JKT Oljoro.

Third placed in the standings table, Oljoro JKT look comfortable and might need to pile up pressure to Simba and Azam through winning the encounter.

Resurgent Mgambo JKT are at home to Toto Africa with strong intention to leapfrog into safe horizon after winning their two-back-back matches within a week.

Fired up Mgambo will possibly make the best use of the home ground advantage to meet satisfaction of their fans while clearing their way to keep premiership survival.