Tanzania Premier League Board has come out to make it clear Simba SC will not be crowned champions even if they beat KMC in a Mainland Premier League match on Wednesday.
The Msimbazi giants missed out on the title on Saturday after they lost 1-0 to their rivals Yanga SC in a Kariakoo derby and their Media Officer Haji Manara maintained after the defeat that they will still be crowned champions if they win their next league assignment against KMC.
TPLB spokesman Karim Ally Boimanda has now clarified, Simba will not be crowned after their game against KMC because they will reach 76 points which can also be attained by second-placed Yanga.
What has been said?
“I want to make it very clear that the one mandated to announce the league winner is the board managing the league and mathematically, if Simba beat KMC, they will reach 76 points, which their closest rivals Yanga can also reach if they win their matches,” Boimanda told Goal.
TFF.
“So as the board, we will not be in a position to announce Simba as winners [if they beat KMC] tomorrow [Wednesday] because the points they will reach can also be attained by their rivals.
“So let us be clear here and tell people the truth, if Simba wins against KMC tomorrow [Wednesday] they will not be crowned champions because they can still be caught, I hope that is clear and we need to report it accurately, for everyone to know, and I have said this so that we stop misleading people.”
Bumbuli confident Yanga will win title
In a previous interview, Yanga media officer Hassan Bumbuli maintained they will wrestle the title from Simba.
“As for [Simba], let them continue dreaming that they have won the league. They will be lucky to win the remaining matches,” Bumbuli said.
“This season, [Yanga] are winning the league; we will defeat Ihefu FC and Dodoma Jiji and before we play Simba in the FA Cup final, the league title will be in our custody. If [Simba] get lucky and win the league, it will be their last.”
Simba are still topping the 18-team table with 73 points while Yanga are second with 70 points.
Yanga have played a total of 32 matches while Simba have played 30, and the Msimbazi giants only need four points from their remaining four matches to be declared champions.
