Yanga SC vs Simba SC of Tanzania.Simba SC.

Coronavirus: Yanga SC reveal players status after tests ahead of league return

Yanga SC and Simba SC have tested their returning players for coronavirus ahead of the Mainland Premier League return.

Yanga have confirmed all their players who were subjected to the exercise have tested negative for Covid-19 and are expected to start training on Wednesday in Dar es Salaam.

Only goalkeeper Farouk Shikalo, who is still in Kenya due to travel restrictions, has not joined his teammates so far.

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“They took coronavirus tests, then the temperatures and weights tests were done too and every player is in good health,” Yanga's chairman Mshindo Msolla told Mwanaspoti.

“After the tests, our players will start training sessions on Wednesday starting from 4:00 PM at Dar es Salaam Law School training ground.

“I have also been in talks with the coaches, including new assistant coach Boniface Mkwasa on how they are going to conduct training sessions.”

Simba are yet to make public the findings of their tests so far.

Meanwhile, Yanga's defender Adeyum Saleh is confident they can still challenge for the league title even though they lie 20 points behind Simba.

“May God protect us from the coronavirus so that we can enjoy normalcy as it was before. I am happy to be back,” Saleh, 24, told Mwanaspoti.

“Even though the league was suspended I continued doing my personal training and hopes that I will be of help to the club as I was before.

“The sessions we have conducted individually will help us remain fit as we plan to take every match like a final.

“We still stand a chance of winning the title if we defeat our opponents in all the remaining matches.”

Finally, transfer reports in Tanzania indicate Yanga are far ahead of Azam FC as far as the signing of midfielder Cleophas Mkandala is concerned.

Mkandala is a Polisi Tanzania player but he has been linked with a move away from the club with the two clubs both rumoured to be interested in him.

Mkandala's agent is reported to have rejected the Azam offer even if it was thought to be better than Yanga's.

Yanga, Simba and Azam are understood to have approached a number of local players with the interest to sign them ahead of next season.

So far, four players in the league have been rumoured to be on their way to join the record Tanzanian champions. 

Simba and Yanga are in a deep tussle to secure Bakari Mwamnyeto's signature from Coastal Union.

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