Eddie Chikamhi
Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE international striker Prince Dube continued with his fine form at his new football club in Tanzania after scoring his third goal in four games at the weekend to give ambitious side Azam a perfect start to the season.
Dube’s 89th minute solitary goal in the 1-0 win over TZ Prisons on Saturday handed the side their fourth win in as many games.
The Zimbabwean striker has been in top form since his arrival in East Africa last month.
His arrival has coincidentally seen Azam stamping some major records this season as the victory on Saturday made them the first team to win all four matches of the league staged both home and away in Tanzania.
The side have also recorded a 360-minute clean sheet as they haven’t conceded in all the four games they have played so far.
Advertisement
Azam now lead the tables, two points ahead of defending champions Simba SC.
Dube made his debut three weeks ago and immediately announced his arrival in Tanzania with a brace in the second game of the season as Azam laid the foundation for the 2020-2021 campaign.
He was on target again on Saturday when he handed his side maximum points with a composed last minute header, just when everyone had thought the game would end in the share of the spoils. His countrymen Bruce Kangwa and Never Tigere were also in the first XI.
Dube has now scored three goals this season following his brace against Coastal Union. He has also registered an assist in the game against Polisi TZ on his Tanzanian League debut.
Dube is a product of Bulawayo giants Highlanders junior development. Before his departure for Tanzania, he had distinguished himself in the Bosso senior team in the last two-and-half seasons, scoring 27 goals.
He hopes to use the Tanzania experience as a stepping stone to international football stardom.
“This is time for me to move. I hope to settle in quickly at Azam. I am happy there are some Zimbabwean players here.
“It’s a good move for me. I feel it’s a big stepping stone to even bigger things in my career, I will do everything in my powers to add value to the club and make sure that I help Azam meet their goals and targets,” he told The Herald after the unveiling ceremony.
Azam are hoping to wrestle the Tanzanian title from Simba SC. They also hope to outmanoeuvre record 27-time holders Young Africans in what promises to be a gruelling marathon.
They won the Tanzanian Premier League once in 2013–14 season after finishing six points ahead of second-placed Young Africans. They came close in the 2018-2019 season when they bagged silver. But the club has been on massive overhaul after they finished the previous campaign without silverware. They finished third in the league with 70 points, 18 fewer than winners Simba SC, and two behind second-placed Yanga Africans.
Advertisement
The team, which is under the tutelage of Romanian coach Aristica Cioaba, also failed to retain their FA Cup title to stand a chance of representing the country in the CAF Confederation Cup. Last season they were knocked out by modest Zimbabwean side Triangle.
Azam information officer Zakaria Thabit revealed that their main aim is to keep the good run going as they target silverware at the end of the current campaign.
“Our main target now is to keep the good record,” Zakaria told reporters.
“We have started the season very well, and it is what we had anticipated before the season kicked-off, and we want to keep the run going, we want to keep winning our matches and hopefully we will be somewhere at the end of the season.”
– HERALD
