Premiership thrills as race too close

SOCCER fans in Tanzania have seen one of the most thrilling soccer premierships this season as contrasted to the rest in the over three decades.
The season has been infested with unpredictable results and full of upsets to the extent that event prediction falls short of reality.
Not surprisingly the premiership title winner might be outside Simba and Yanga brackets at the end of the season next year.
With the season coming close to the half way stage later this week, holders Yanga are not guaranteed of staying at the summit of the standings table.
The season’s surprise package Mbeya City has continued to baffle fans as the Southern Highland side has defied odds synchronies with the premiership shockwaves to claim title contention jacket.
  In what is turning out be a battle for supremacy among four teams, the top spot has changed hands three times in six days.  Three teams have been at the top of the log only to be dislodged within hours. Simba, defending champions, Yanga and Azam have all warmed the top seat in the last one week.
The start of last week saw Simba, Azam and Mbeya City tied with twenty points. The 2011-12 league champions, Simba were at the summit of table courtesy of a superior goal difference.  On the same day, Simba and Azam met for a top of the table clash that saw the ice-cream makers excel.
Azam’s Ivorian import hit man, Kipre Tcheche’s brace was enough to condemn Simba to a 2-1 defeat that displaced the Msimbazi Reds to second.
On Tuesday, fourth-placed Yanga played against relegation-haunted Mgambo Shooting while Mbeya City were to  have a sterner test in Tanzania Prisons in what was billed as Mbeya derby.
Both passed their tests. Yanga walloped the hapless Mgambo Shooting 3-0 while Mbeya City whipped Tanzania Prisons 2-0. Both leapfrogged Simba who dropped to fourth. Yanga climbed to third, one point adrift of both Azam and Mbeya City who were tied with twenty three points apiece. Azam were still at the top on account of a superior goal difference.
On Thursday, Simba had a chance to reclaim the top seat as they played host to Kagera Sugar. They only needed a win to go top on account of a superior goal difference over both Azam and Mbeya City who were inactive till Saturday.
A clinical finish from a nearly impossible angle by the league leading marksman, Khamis Tambwe appeared to have put Simba in the driving seat ahead of final whistle. Deep into the stoppage time, Kagera Sugar secured a lifeline through a late spot kick that was taken by a former Simba player, Salum Kanoni.
The dramatic equaliser meant Simba had only salvaged a point which was insufficient to leapfrog their archrivals. They stumbled to fourth place, one point adrift of third-placed Yanga and two points short of pacemakers Azam and Mbeya City.
As hell broke loose in the National Stadium with tear gas canisters fired at rowdy Simba fans, many knew they had lost a crucial footing in the title race. Kanoni’s late penalty might come to haunt them as the title race gets tight.
On Friday, Yanga only needed a draw to claim the pilot seat from Azam as they faced another struggling army outfit, JKT Ruvu. As widely expected Yanga did not threw overboard the advantage to go top as they inflicted maximum damage on the hapless soldiers. They pumped four goals in the back of the net knowing goal difference advantage counts as the title race progresses. For the first time since the opening round the holders claimed the driving seat. Their stay at the summit short-lived as both Azam and Mbeya City won their subsequent penultimate round fixtures last Saturday.
On Saturday the top position was expected to change hands for the unprecedented third time within a five-day period. Azam played host to Ruvu Shooting while Mbeya City battled it out with Ashanti United in Mbeya.  Azam playing at their Chamazi Complex Stadium emerged with a 3-0 victory to automatically go top of the table for the second time within 24 hours. In Mbeya, Ashanti United failed to stop rookies Mbeya City’s rollercoaster six-match display albeit maintaining unbeaten run on their maiden premiership season.
Azam and Mbeya City results pushed Yanga back to third place while Simba are stuck at fourth spot.
With one final round to go before the curtains fall for the first half of the season, only Azam and Mbeya City remain unbeaten. The duo are only separated by goal difference.
Mbeya City’s coach Juma Mwambusi and Azam’s English trainer Stewart John Hall are spending sleepless night until on Wednesday evening when their sides will clash.
Interestingly, the two unbeaten sides face each other on Wednesday at Chamazi Complex. The match means only one side will remain unbeaten or Yanga will go top if it ends on a stalemate as Yanga are poised to win over relegation bound JKT Oljoro if the visitors wont opt for an upset.