Boniface Wambura

It has taken 55 days since the Mainland premiership soccer season has ended before the sponsors have woken up from deep slumber to award the winners.

The Tanzania Football Federation’s information officer, Boniface Wambura, said in a release availed yesterday that Vodacom Tanzania have organised the prize presentation ceremony to be held in Dar es Salaam tomorrow.

Vodacom, which has been maintaining the sponsorship for the past five years, is expected to award champions Simba Sports Club their millions of shillings. Runners-up Azam and third placed team Young Africans are also lined up for tomorrow’s awards.

Other beneficiaries from the Vodacom prize money include best goalkeeper, top scorer, most disciplined team, outstanding referee and coach for the season that ended on May 6.

Simba cruised to the premiership title for the second time in three season hauling 62 points in 26 appearances to open a six-point gap ahead of runners-up, Azam FC at the end of the finals standings.

Dethroned champions Young Africans were third with 49 points, eleven less than their archrivals Simba.

The premiership season saw three other teams of Moro United, Villa Squad and Police Dodoma plunge deep into relegation of the 14-team league.

Azam’s talismanic striker John Bocco is expected to win the golden boot award after scoring 18 goals to level with other two players who reached the feat in the previous seasons.

These were former Yanga striker Boniface Ambani and Simba’s Musa Mgosi.

The new season is expected to kick off in August as Vodacom are still at the helm of the sponsorship.