Azam, Yanga in midweek draws

Azam Fc Players

Mainland premier soccer league resumes today as the midweek fixtures has drawn hottest title contenders Young Africans and Azam FC who play their matches at two separate Dar es Salaam football venues.

 

Yanga, fresh from successful CAF Confederation Cup campaign over the weekend in Zimbabwean midland city of Bulawayo, entertain visiting Coastal Union at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

 

Holders Azam will be at home to rub shoulders with Southern Highland’s formidable side of Mbeya City at their own backyard of Chamazi.

Yanga will kick of today’s game with a psychological comfort of four-point gap over the holders who are under intense pressure to retain the title they wonfor the first time since gaining promotion into the top flight berth last season.

 

The Yanga-Coastal Union clash will be a huge attraction for football followers as the visitors are expected to plot revenge after losing the first leg match at home by a lone goal. 

 

It has been a hard nut to crack for Coastal Union whenever they face Yanga whether in Dar es Salaam or Tanga ever since the team regained promotion into the premiership berth three seasons ago. Yanga have not been conceding easy defeat at the hands of the Coastal Union and their last meeting at the National Stadium the previous season saw the team share a 1-1 draw. The visitors will be playing under tutelage of Jamhuri Kihwelo, a former Simba player and member who has always been fanatical to beat Yanga.

 

At Chamazi, Azam have a daunting task of beating their visitors who are in urgent need to avoid relegation shockwaves as the season comes close to an end early next month. 

 

Victory is essential for either side as Azam would like to chalk maximum points to at least reduce the point-gap with pacemakers Yanga. While Azam will be praying for Coastal to emerge winners over Yanga, Yanga also have the same brand of mentality on the other side of the coin as they would like a downfall of Azam.

 

Azam have won their three back-to-back matches by a lone goal over Ndanda FC, JKT Ruvu and Coastal Union.

 

 Mbeya City under their coach Juma Mwambusi will be without their lynchpin defender Yusuph Abdallah 'Sisalo' who sustained injury during their recent victory over newly promoted Ndanda FC.

 

Mbeya City have never beaten Azam since gaining promotion into the elite league as Azam have been enjoying victories in their past two matches. This is the fourth time the teams meet in the Mainland league since last season. The only consolation for Mbeya City is a 3-3 draw in the last match of the previous season’s first half.  Azam won the first leg over Mbeya City this season by 1-0 at the Sokoine Stadium.