COASTAL UNION COULD BE THE FOURTH POWER IN TANZANIA

Tanzanian Premier League is a dominion of two football clubs. Simba and Yanga dictate terms in the domestic scene. It is a duopoly in terms of revenues; trophies amassed and match attendances .For the past twelve years, the premier league title has been the exclusive right of the two Dar clubs. Mtibwa  Sugar were the last club to win the title outside the two rival clubs.

This duopoly has choked life out of the Tanzanian league.Other clubs have become mere feeders of talent to the two. It has stopped other clubs from even dreaming of winning the title. Until the emergence of Azam,  any other club stating ambitions of winning the title was treated as a mere poor man’s dream. Five seasons, millions and millions spent, coaches from all over the world,players from different corners of the globe yet even Azam despite the huge financial muscles are yet to wrestle away the title from Simba and Yanga.

Azam have already established themselves  as a credible third force. They have the financial resources to compete with the two Dar clubs. A fourth power is needed to add some vibrancy and shake up the established equilibrium state of our league. Though Mtibwa Sugar and Kagera Sugar have tried but they are simply no match for Simba and Yanga. Both are just deemed as established side but lacking ambitions to mount a serious campaign for the title.

Perhaps Coastal Union could build themselves into a much needed fourth power .The Tanga based side might not have the deep pockets like Azam but they do have what Azam lack, a strong fan base in their own region. The 1988 champions are slowly re-emerging as a force to reckon in the domestic football scene. They are steadily re-awakening the passions of Tanga football fans who had turned their eyes from the local game. Being the only club from Tanga they have cut their own niche, forming a bond with the locals that ensured a steady growing match attending fan base.

Unlike Simba and Yanga who have several sponsors and promoters or Azam who are being bankrolled by Bakhressa group of companies,Coastal  Union have to live within their means by utilizing their meager resources efficiently. In that sense they are arguably the best managed side, efficiently maximizing their resources while building a side that is slowly developing into something many Tanga people can be proud to associate with.

This season they have managed to book flights for their away matches, a feat only achieved by Simba,Yanga and Azam. They lured Kenyan international midfielder,Jerry Santo from Kenya league champions,Tusker Fc, a feat that speaks of their growing financial power. They even signed a certain Brazilian striker for ‘good money’. They take great care of their players a fact highlighted by sending Nsa Job, their striker, to India for better medical treatment after an injury he sustained in a league match.

Coastal Union have also been in the frontline in engaging fans through the social media. They regularly update their posts,respond to comments and criticism, have live text commentary of their games just to catch up with the digital fans.  To some it might mean nothing but it is by getting the small things right one is able to develop and grow into something big.With just a little bit of more persistent creativity they could become the fourth power in the domestic football scene.

MBWANA SAMATA:WHAT SETS HIM APART?

He is composed,confident and clinical but that does not actually describe Mbwana  Samata ‘Poppa’.Tanzania has had clinical strikers in the past such as Ally Thuweini who scored two goals in two different matches in Tanzania’s single appearance at the African cup of nations in 1980,Nigeria.Even in his former club,Simba he would be hardly mentioned in the top three strikers that have donned the famous red and white colours of Msimbazi.

Even his signing for Simba did not catch the attention,it was hardly news after all we have been used to seeing real drama when Simba and Yanga are eyeing a potential talented player.Perhaps he was still very raw as even Azam just ignored him when they could sign him at next to-nothing-fee.  Bonface Pawasa, saw the potential in him and urged the then newly promoted Azam leaders to recruit him but it seems they never paid much attention so he had to start his premier league journey at African Lyon.

Even before he caught the eyes of TP Mazembe he had already established himself as one of the rare gifted strikers in the Vodacom Premier league. He hardly played a full season for Simba before the big boys from Congo came calling. It only took him two matches two convince TP Mazembe .So what sets him apart from the other strikers?

Many will rightly point at his goals,but that does not complete his story. A keen observer of football who has seen Samata would point out at his arrogance. With a ball at his feet he is simply arrogantly cool,he  possess the inner belief that he can do anything with the ball.It’s like he feels he can command a ball and force his way through a forest of defenders. His runs with the ball are more of ‘it is me against the world’.

His arrogance is what caught the attention of Mazembe.In  the CAF Champions league match between Simba and Mazembe he was the stand out player despite Mazembe easily drabbing Simba home and away. In the two legs,he tore apart Mazembe’s defence and gave Simba faithful something to cheer in a two legs affair where they had very little to smile about.Despite having the pace to outrun defenders,Samata  prefers the cool approach,he tends to wait for  defenders as if his mind is just off the pitch yet he almost always weaves his ways past them.

In the recent match against  Morocco,he  got a through pass from Athumani Idd ‘Chuji’, a couple of yards away from defenders with only  the keeper to beat yet in his typical style of arrogance he stopped,the whole stadium including those who  were half way  off their seats ready to celebrate were suspended in a pause like-motion, and as if giving defenders a fair play-chance to catch him, he just calmly slotted the ball home.

His cool arrogance just sets him apart,he is so sure of himself,unflinching  trust and faith that his composed approach will get him through any defence.He  releases the ball when he feels there is a chance for others though it can sometimes being annoying seeing him holding the ball for so long allowing the opposition to re-group and tighten the defence .In 2012 AFCON qualifier match against Algeria he kept holding the ball for so long though to his credit he never lost it. Slower than a crippled tortoise at times yet he can also run at full speed when the occasion calls for pace. 

Off the pitch he is a simple lad who rarely hits the headlines for non-football issues. Despite being young and successful he has not allowed that success to get into his head. In a nation very hungry for a true football star, he is being looked  to by many as a good example of  a talented footballer.

DAR DERBY: WILL YANGA REVENGE THE 5-0 HUMILIATION?

                    

19^th  July,1977 and 6^TH May,2012 will be etched in the minds of Yanga fans as the darkest days in the history of their club.On those dates Yanga were humiliated 6-0 and 5-0 respectively by  their arch rivals,Simba  in  Dar Derby matches. In the 1977 match,Aballah  Kibadeni  tore apart Yanga’s defence and scored a hat-trick.Other goals were scored by Jumanne Hassan and an own goal by Selemani Sanga completed the 6-0 humiliation. Ugandan import,Emmanuel Okwi engineered last year 5-0 routing by scoring a brace and creating chances for others.

Next month Simba and Yanga will meet in the final day of the season.Yanga seems to be in superior form as compared to Simba who are enduring one of their worst season. While Yanga seems to have one hand in the Vodacom league trophy, Simba are in a rat race fighting for a top three finish with three other clubs.Simba’s season is just empty.  Leadership wrangles in Simba have overshadowed their season.Simba had to part ways with their Serbian tactician,Milovan  Curkovic midseason after a string of poor results. They brought Frenchman, Patrick Liewig but they are yet to see consistency  in results.

Problems at Simba have raised hopes among Yanga faithful that it is their time to revenge for last season’s humiliation. They have sensed blood, they want to go for the kill.Crush Simba  by as many goals as possible. Many feel it is highly possible since Patrick Liewig has insisted on fielding under 20 players being groomed to replace the veterans accused of not showing commitment and lacking discipline among other accusations. The strict French tactician has vowed to give the inexperienced yet talented young players a chance in all the remaining matches including the big one at the end of the season.

The young players such as Miraji Adamu,Hassan Khatib,Jonas Mkude ,Abdalla Seseme,Ramadhani Singano and Chanongo have shown considerable promise but  whether they will be able to handle the pressure and onslaught from Yanga is another question. How the fans take it is another debatable issue.

However, unless Simba decides to throw away the match or their kids bottle it completely Yanga does not have a striking force that is intimidating enough t o put five goals past a defence. Of lateYanga has been grinding 1-0 wins depending on goals from  midfielders as their strikers keep misfiring.Neither  Burundian import,Kavumbagu nor  Ugandan import Kiiza has shown an impressive form.The local boys,Tegete and Bahanuzi seems to have forgotten how to score with the latter not having seen the back of the net for ages.

Kaunda's Ultra Modern Stadium:Yanga wet dreams or a realistic project?

 Young  Africans,popularly corrupted as Yanga  is arguably the most supported and followed club in Sub-saharan Africa when it comes to match attendances. This season alone Young Africans have averaged an attendance of around 14,000 fans .Forget about the super-rich South African giants of Kaizer Chiefs,Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi or the fanatically followed Gor Mahia,when it comes to match attendances Yanga is way ahead. At times Yanga matches attract more fans to the stadium than the national team as witnessed this season. For example, while the national team attracted 32,000 fans for the Morocco game in Dar, Yanga attracted more than 39,000 fans against Azam Fc played at the same venue.Yanga hosted Simba in the first Dar Derby of the season managing to draw in 55,000 fans.

Though Yanga and Simba have polarized Tanzania into two sets historically Yanga  has had more fans than Simba despite both  being equally successfully in the domestic football scene. After over 40 years of begging and surviving on hand outs and dubious promoters and sponsors Yanga want to tap into their huge fan base to construct a 40,000-seat stadium . It is a major step forward that was long due.

As it is often, the devil is in the details, the idea is a noble one but the financial details are too unconvincing. Many of us have questioned the wisdom of constructing a stadium of that capacity considering the costs involved. It will be a miracle to attract a sponsor or get a loan to finance the project. Where will they get the collateral needed to secure a loan? Will tycoon Yusuph Manji dig deep into his pocket to finance the project?

They  have insisted that they will obtain the needed funds from the huge fan base,but will it be enough? Let it be remembered even in the construction of the new national stadium,the Tanzanian government depended on Chinese ‘aid’. Apparently the Chinese government funded the construction of the national stadium to the tune of over $33 million out of the over $56.4 million spent .

To construct a 40,000-seat stadium would probably cost more than $50 million bearing inflation cost and taking a look at a few similar projects in Africa. The 44,000-seat Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Zambia cost around $60 million. Even the 19,000-seat TP Mazembe stadium has been reported to cost over  $35 million. The TP Mazembe stadium was funded by Moise Chapwe Katumbi who  harbors political ambitions as well as having a deeper love for football since childhood than it can be said of  Yusuph Manji.  Katumbi played football  up to his 20s before injury ended his  football career coupled with his political ambitions it is easy to see why he is pumping money into grand projects for TP Mazembe. The club is a fulfillment of his childhood dreams as well as a huge political investment.

Yusuph Manji is no fool who will soon part with his money for such an ambitious project. What has he seen that we have failed to see that has convinced him to fund the project? You do not become a billionaire by making empty statements so we just have to leave it to to him for he is the deal-maker and he seems to know more than  we know though many are still skeptical that the project will be funded by the members and the fans to a greater proportion. A two year project that cost more than $50 million can hardly be funded by fans who pay less than $4 per match and members who collectively contribute less than $1000 per month.

Yanga unveil 40,000-seat Stadium Grand Project

  

It seems Yanga are keen to pull up the biggest shock on many of us by constructing their own ultra-modern 40,000-seat stadium in Dar. The ‘too good to be true’ story surfaced out late last year when the then newly-elected Yanga leader, tycoon Yusuph Manji shocked many by announcing mega plans of turning the massively supported club into one of the richest in Africa.

This week,Beijing construction Engineering Group, a Chinese company that had been contracted at the end of lat year to do the  project analysis, has submitted the  architectural plans and initial budget estimation. The stadium would be built at Jangwani.

BCEG manager,Zhang Chengwei David said that the project analysis has been completed and presented to the Yanga’s board of directors. Zhang,said his company has enough experience and expertise in construction of stadiums around the world. The same company was successfully contracted to construct the 60,000-seat modern stadium in Dar by the government of Tanzania at a cost of $56.4 million. The  company is also constructing the Uhuru Stadium adjacent to the National stadium.

Francis Kifukwe,further revealed that  Yanga  and BCEG will sign the contract agreement in May and the construction is expected to begin in July . The construction is expected to take two years. The  40,000-seater stadium  will have ample car parking space, VIP sections, hospital, restaurants and hostels,a media hub, sections for the disabled as well as providing other services.

Gor Mahia Ndani Ya Kinywa Cha Mamba

                               

       GOR  MAHIA NDANI YA KINYWA CHA MAMBA

Macho na masikio ya wapenda kandanda nchini Kenya yataelekezwa kwenye dimba la Nyayo mwishoni mwa juma hili. Pambano litakalovuta hisia zote ni baina ya miamba wa Kenya, Gor Mahia itakayoluwa na kibarua kigumu dhidi ya wajukuu wa Farao,ENPPI ya Misri. Gor Mahia ina kibarua cha kulipa kisasi cha mabao 3-0 ili kuweza kupata nafasi ya kusonga mbele kwenye kombe la shirikisho  Afrika ngazi ya vilabu.

Kila masaa yanavyokatika ndivyo homa ya mpambano huu inavyozidi kupanda hasa kwa maelfu ya wapenzi na wanazi wa Gor Mahia. Kinachotia shaka si uwezo wa Gor Mahia bali ni ukubwa wa kipigo chenyewe.Ni dhahiri kuwa  kwa kuruhusu mabao matatu kule Misri Gor Mahia ni kama walikubali kuingia kwenye mdomo wa mamba. Mabao matatu ni mengi mno  kwa timu yoyote ile. Kazi iliyopo mbele si haba,inahitaji  mioyo ya chuma na roho za sabuni kukabiliana nayo.

Hata hivyo waswahili hunena mbwa hafi aonapo ufuo hasa ikizangatiwa kuwa Gor Mahia watacheza mbele ya maelfu ya jeshi lao la mashabiki watakaokuwa wakishangilia kwa mbwembwe zote. Itawabidi mashabiki wa Gor Mahia kupasuka koo kwa kupaza sauti kuishangilia timu yao toka kipenga cha kwanza hadi cha mwisho . Mashabiki watakuwa kama mchezaji wa kumi na  mbili uwanjani katika kuhakikisha ushindi unapatikana.

Licha ya kuwa Gor Mahia bado haijashika ule moto wake wa msimu uliopita bado kuna matumaini makubwa hasa ukiangalia aina ya wachezaji walio nao kikosini. Licha ya mkufunzi wao, Logarusic,  kulililia kuwa majeruhi yamewaathiri sana bado ana silaha zinazoweza kuiangamiza ENPPI kama akizumia ipasavyo.

Taratibu mshambuliaji hatari,Dan Sserenkuma anaanza kurudisha makali yake  ya msimu uliopita. Pia mshambuliaji chipukizi aliyesajiliwa msimu huu kutoka KCB, Paul Kiongera anazidi kuimarika kwa kuwaonesha mashabiki  thamani yake. Ikumbukwe Kiongera alianza kwa kusuasua kiasi cha kuzomewa na baadhi ya mashabiki kwenyi mechi za awali. Wasi wasi unabakia kwa pacha wa Sserenkuma,Rama Salim ambaye bado anaweweseka. Ushirikiano wa Rama Salim na Dan Sserenkuma ulikuwa chachu kuu ya mafanikio ya Gor Mahia mwaka jana.

Safu ya ulinzi si mbaya,golini Jerim Onyango au Ivo Mapunda wote wapo kamili,Donald Mosoti,David Owino aliyezima moto wa Victor Moses wa Chelsea katika mechi dhidi ya Naijeria,Ivan Anguyo licha ya kuwa ameonesha udhaifu pamoja na Wekesa wana uwezo wa  kuzima mashambulizi ya ENPPI.Kazi yao itakuwa kuhakikisha  ENPPI  hawapati bao lolote  linaloweza kuharibu hesabu za Gor Mahia.

Safu ya Kiungo itakuwa na kazi ya kupika nafasi za mabao kwa washambuliaji huku pia wakiipa kinga safu ya ulinzi dhidi ya mashambulizi ya ENPPI.Bila shaka,Teddy Akumu,Ali Abondo,Njuguna na Kevin Abondo  wataweza kuwapa raha mashabiki wa Gor Mahia na kuhakikisha klabu ya Kenya inaonja ladha ya ushindi dhidi ya wamisri.

SOFAPAKA waliweza kuitoa Ismailia licha ya kufungwa 3-0 ugenini , ni jambo ambalo Gor Mahia pia wanaweza kulifanya.Uwezo wanao, sababu za kufanya hivyo wanazo, na pia nia ya kufanikisha jambo hilo wanayo.Kila la kheri Gor Mahia katika jitihada zenu za kujitoa kwenye kinywa cha mambo.