The win reduces the gap between the Ice-cream Makers and Simba SC to just four points
Prince Dube scored the only goal to help Azam beat Yanga SC 1-0 at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Sunday night to retain their hopes of winning the league this season.
The Ice-cream Makers started the game well and could have opened the scoring in the 13th minute when Selemani Iddi got into a good area, but Ayub Lyanga failed to connect to it.
Three minutes later, goalkeeper Farouk Shikhalo had to be at his best to push the ball out for a corner. The hosts had conceded a free-kick in a good area and former Tanzania international defender Aggrey Morris took it well, but the Kenyan was there to stop him.
From the resulting corner, the defenders failed to clear and the ball fell to Selemani in a good area, but his fierce shot narrowly missed the target with the goalkeeper stranded.
The first serious attempt from Wananchi came from Saidi Ntibanzokiza when the ball somehow managed to get to him in the danger zone. But his tame effort from about 12-yards missed the target.
The 2014 champions were the better side and they finished the first half on a high. With a minute left to the break, Braison Nkulula was given a lot of space and his shot from about 25-yards hit the crossbar with Shikhalo well beaten.
After the pause, the Ice-cream Makers still showed their hunger for goal as Wananchi looked disjointed.
The Jangwani Street-based charges had half chances, with Yacouba Songne and Michael Sarpong coming close, but they lacked composure in the danger zone.
With the match seemingly headed for a goalless draw, the inevitable happened. Zimbabwean Dube unleashed a fierce strike which Shikhalo failed to keep out and Azam managed to get maximum points to reduce the gap between them and Simba to four points.
Meanwhile, Ihefu FC collected their third win in a row after defeating Coastal Union 3-0 at the Highland Estate Grounds in Mbeya.
Prior to the game, the debutants had defeated Mbeya City and Tanzania Prisons, and were hoping to get another three points.
It took them just 20 minutes to score when Andrew Simchimba capitalised on poor defending.
The attacker was on target again 13 minutes later, this time around unleashing a fierce strike that the goalkeeper failed to keep out.
The third goal came in the 36th minute courtesy of Raphael Loth.
Tanzania Prisons also collected maximum points at the expense of Ruvu Shooting after emerging 1-0 victors.
The lone goal came in the 51st minute through Jeremiah Juma.
Yanga SC XI: Farouk Shikhalo, Shomari Kibwana, Adeyum Saleh, Abdallah Haji, Dickson Job, Mukoko Tonombe, Deus Kaseke, Carlos Carlinhos, Michael Sarpong, Saidi Ntibazonkiza, Yacouba Songne
Subs: Metacha Mnata, Paulo Godfrey, Bakari Mwamnyeto, Fisal Salum, Haruna Niyonzima, Ditram Nchimbi, Waziri Junior.
Azam XI: Mathias Kigonya, Nico Wadada, Bruce Kangwa, Daniel Amoah, Aggrey Morris, Braison Nkulula, Ayub Lyanga, Mudathir Yahya, Prince Dube, Yahya Zaydi, Iddi Selemani
Subs: Wilbol Maseke, Abdul Haji, Abdallah Kheri, Yakubu Mohamed, Never Tigere, Ismail Kader, Obrey Chirwa.