Tanzania derby: Yanga and Simba cap season of accusations and criticism

In the football culture of our country, it’s very rare for a champion to emerge from outside the Kariakoo area, although some clubs have broken that tradition.

Coastal Union from Tanga, Pamba from Mwanza, Tukuyu Stars from Mbeya, Mtibwa Sugar from Morogoro, and Azam from Temeke district in Dar es Salaam have all disrupted this tradition of Kariakoo-based clubs in different periods, surprising many avid followers of the sport, which is the most popular in Tanzania.

However, the champions have always been either Yanga, Simba, or at times Pan African and Cosmopolitan, both from the Kariakoo area in Dar es Salaam. And because Pan African, a team primarily composed of former Yanga players, and Cosmo have weakened, the championship battle now primarily involves Simba and Yanga, with Azam FC striving to become more competitive and pose a greater challenge to the veterans.

As such, when the schedule is released, most eyes are directed towards the dates when these giants will face each other in the first and second rounds, with the latter often determining the national champion, as other clubs have not posed much of a challenge to them.

As the league enters its 23rd round, Yanga, having played 22 matches, leads by a four-point margin over Azam FC, who have amassed 54 points from 24 matches.

Simba is in third place with 46 points from 21 matches. Coastal Union, in fourth place with 33 points, and KMC in fifth with 32 points, no longer have hopes of clinching the championship but are vying for two of the top four positions to participate in international tournaments next year. Even if Coastal were to win all seven remaining matches, they would only reach 54 points, while KMC, with a perfect record in their remaining games, would only reach 33 points.

Azam and Simba still have hopes of winning the championship, but they have already faced Yanga, so their chances of surpassing the defending champions are slim. In other words, the season has already been decided, regardless of any football miracles that could occur, whereby Yanga might lose their remaining eight matches while Azam and Simba win all theirs, denying Yanga a third consecutive championship and the first under coach Miguel Gamondi, who took over from Nasreddine Nabi, who won the championship twice. Mathematically, Yanga still hasn’t secured the championship, but practically, it seems they have completed all the essential tasks needed to claim the title.

This might lead someone to say that the match on Saturday between these arch-rivals has ended the season, as if the champion has already been determined. But in football, it’s not over yet.

What has been concluded by these arch-rivals are the side stories surrounding them before they play their two matches in the season. If the return match between the arch-rivals had been scheduled for rounds 28, 29, or the last round, even if Yanga had a significant lead in points, these side stories would still exist. Allegations that players of teams playing against these Kariakoo giants have been paid off would persist whenever Yanga or Simba win their matches.

Accusations of bias by referees toward one of these teams would continue until their return match takes place. Allegations that the League Board has favored certain teams to become champions due to changes in the schedule would persist until these teams settle their scores.

Allegations that a sponsor of one of these clubs funds travel and winning bonuses for opponents of one of these teams would continue until the end of the league. But this time, they’ve been settled early.

We don’t even expect the kind of feud that rocked the country two seasons ago when the match time was changed on the same day, causing the return match between Simba and Yanga to be cancelled after fans had already filled the stadium, as the defending champions boycotted the changes, arguing that they were made against the league regulations.

Prime Minister, Majaliwa Kassim Majaliwa, issued a statement in Parliament regarding the incident after lawmakers questioned it, and subsequently, the match was rescheduled. These accusations completely ruin the essence of the league.

A goal might be skillfully scored, but the next day, you could wake up to allegations of conspiracy or bribery. The schedule might be adjusted for a good reason, and the reasons may be apparent, but these changes might be scrutinized until allegations of favoritism towards a certain team are found.

All of these happen because these giants haven’t settled their scores. After these two giants settle their scores, even their season of accusing each other of plots and tricks comes to an end, and the effort will now be for each to achieve what they can, with Yanga seeking points to declare themselves champions early. Simba, at risk of playing in the Champions League due to Azam’s dominance, will have the task of ensuring they surpass the team based in Chamazi to return to that lucrative tournament, with the second-round match between these teams expected to decide the runner-up.

It’s a good thing that the Premier League Board (TPLB) scheduled these two clubs to settle their scores early so that the focus would be more on football rather than its side stories, unlike the old tradition that gave these teams a chance to decide the champion in the final rounds, thus dominating the league with blame, accusations, and other trivial matters. In short, the Saturday match hasn’t ended the season by determining the champion. On the contrary, it has concluded the season of blame and accusations against players, referees, and league organizers.