Azam FC to sign 15 players in bid to beef up squad this window

Azam FC have confirmed they will sign at least 15 players to help beef up the squad ahead of the new season.

The ‘Ice-Cream Makers’ are currently fighting with Young Africans (Yanga SC) for second spot in the 20-team Mainland Premier League table with only one match remaining to the end of the season.

Azam are sitting second on 69 points the same as Yanga but they have a better goal difference and the team which suffers defeat in their last match on Sunday will surely miss out on finishing second behind league winners Simba SC.

With the team also missing out on winning the FA Cup after losing 2-0 to Simba in the quarter-finals, the club officials have now asked coach Aristica Cioaba to go for quality players so they can be able to challenge for trophies next season.

Azam Information Officer Thabit Zakaria has confirmed they have given the Romanian coach a free hand to pick the players he wants for the team and they will not care about the number even if he signs 15 new players.

“We want to have a competitive squad next season and it is the reason we have asked our coach to get as many players as possible but quality players for that matter,” Zakaria is quoted by Sokaletu.

“We have given our coach a free hand to sign up to 15 players, we want a strong squad that can help us to compete in all fronts, we want to do well in the league and also the FA Cup.”

Azam will take on Tanzania Prisons in their final league match on Sunday at Sokoine Stadium while Yanga will battle against Lipuli FC.

Coach Cioaba has sounded a warning to his player to end the season with a win.

“We have a battle with Yanga on who finishes second and I have told my players to take the game with a lot of seriousness, we must attack them to win and we cannot afford to lose the final league match,” Cioaba told reporters on Saturday.

Both matches are set for Sunday and will kick-off at 16.00hrs.