TFF Awards: Ntibazonkiza & Mayele split golden boot

Young Africans (Yanga) dominated the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) awards on Monday night after winning 11 league awards in the just ended season.

Apart from winning the NBC title, the Jangwani Street giants also won the Azam Federation Cup title for the second time in a row.

Congolese striker Fiston Mayele won three awards, including the best player of the just-ended NBC Premier League season, after beating other four players in the award night gala held at the TFF’s Technical Centre in Tanga. Mayele outshined Simba’s Saido Ntibazonkiza and Mzamiru Yasin.

He also beat Singida Big Stars attacking midfielder Bruno Gomez and teammate Djigui Diarra. The Congolese striker was not present in the award ceremony due to his national team commitment, whereby the chief guest, Deputy Minister for Culture, Arts and Sports, Hamis Mwinjuma, presented the award to the player’s spouse, Charlene Kashal Kaj.

Mayele was also joint golden boot award with Simba’s Saido Ntibazonkiza after scoring 17 goals each. He took home the best goal of the season award as well.

It was a brilliant night for Yanga, where their head coach Nasredine Nabi won the best coach of the season, while Djigui Diara took home the best goalkeeper award, and Dickson Job emerged at the top to win the best defender of the season. Yanga’s Clement Mzize won the best U-20 award of the season.

Yanga’s captain, Bakari Mwamnyeto, won the Azam Federation Cup’s best player award.

The award night was a happy moment for Simba’s Saido Ntibazonkiza, who won the best midfielder of the year award as well as the fair play award and the golden boot.

Lameck Lawi of Coastal Union won the Best Young Player of the Season award, while Andrew Sinchimba of Ihefu won the Top Scorer award in the Azam Federation Cup, and KMC won the Most Disciplined Team of the Season.

The event also saw JKT Ruvu’s Edward Songo win Best Player of the Championship Division, Stand United’s Tungi Kashinje win Best Player of the First League, and Leopold Mukebezi win the Legend Award. Winfrida Charles of Alliance Girls won the best young player award in the Women’s Premier League, while the best stadium manager of the year award was won by Omary Malule.

In the refereeing category, Jonesia Rukyaa was named the best referee of the NBC Premier League, while Frank Komba won the best assistant referee of the league, and Ester Adalbert scooped the best referee of the Women’s Premier League. Glory Tesha won best assistant referee in the women’s Premier League.

Speaking during the gala night, Deputy Minister for Culture, Arts and Sports, Hamis Mwinjuma, commended TFF for the organisation of the awards.

Mwinjuma also commended the winners of the award and challenged them to continue to be the best in their careers and in the development of the game in the country.

For his part, TFF President Wallace Karia said the body’s mission and vision are to take the game to the next level of development and would like to see each region own its own football technical centre to inspire the game’s progress.

“I thank the government for the support in sports development, and our NBC Premier League is now placed fifth on the continent. We would like to see us advance in the world rankings and be in the best position,” said Karia.