WITH the Premier League on a two-month hiatus until March 1st due to Tanzania hosting the CHAN tournament, Azam FC head coach Rachid Taoussi has resumed training to build early chemistry within his squad, which includes new signings.

Taoussi emphasized the importance of bringing the players back early to ensure his plans for the league's second round, starting March 1, are on track.

Azam have bolstered their attacking options with two new signings: 19-year-old Tanzanian talent Zidane Sereri (pictured) from Dodoma Jiji, who has signed a five-and-a-half-year deal, and Ivorian left back and central defender Zouzou Landry from AFAD Djekanou of Ivory Coast Ligue 1.

Azam, currently third in the league behind leaders Simba and second-placed Young Africans, returned to their training camp at the Azam Complex on Monday to begin preparations for the final stretch of the season.

"The players were already in competitive form, so giving them two months without playing competitive matches or training together is a challenge for us as the technical bench. It will give us a lot of work to get them back to competitive form," said Taoussi, who is from Morocco.

"Our plan is to be a competitive team. We have a lot of work to do to ensure we recover the points we dropped and are able to achieve our goals. We are building them to be better than they are now," he added.

Taoussi said he will ensure he builds the team, including securing friendly matches to provide practical training.

"For us as coaches, the two-month league break means we will have the responsibility of redesigning training programs and ensuring the players remain in top physical and mental condition," said Taoussi, who took over the team from Youssouf Dabo.

"There is pressure for results when we return as it is the final round. The great expectations of the leaders and fans are good results, so if I had agreed to let the players continue staying at home, I would have had a hard time monitoring their progress," he concluded.

He said he believes that by staying close to them [the players], he can build them tactically and mentally before the league resumes.

Azam, who qualified for the CAF Champions League preliminary stage this season after finishing second in the 2023-2024 season, have collected 39 points from 16 matches this season, from 11 wins, three draws, and two losses.

Formerly under Dabo, Azam were eliminated in the first round in a 2-1 aggregate against APR after losing 2-0 away in the second leg.

Young Africans are above Azam with 39 points from 15 matches, while Simba lead with 40 points so far.

Meanwhile, as Azam intensify their preparations for the resumption of the Premier League, reports suggest the club’s Senegalese left-back, Cheikh Sidibe, may soon depart before the transfer window closes.

Sources indicate that Sidibe, who has previously been called up to the Senegal national team, is in advanced stages of negotiating an exit from Azam. 

Speculation links him to a potential move to DR Congo’s AS Vita Club, a transfer reportedly endorsed by Vita’s head coach, Youssouf Dabo, who previously coached Azam FC. 

It is said that Dabo has instructed the club’s management to finalize Sidibe’s registration promptly.

An insider at Azam revealed that the club’s leadership recently held a meeting and resolved to part ways with the defender. The decision comes amid ongoing efforts to bolster the squad with new international signings.

“The management has reached the decision to release Sidibe due to various reasons that I cannot disclose. However, discussions are ongoing with players from different countries to strengthen the team,” the source stated.

Sidibe joined Azam from Senegalese outfit Teungueth FC and was a key player during Dabo’s tenure before the coach left for AS Vita. 

Following Dabo’s exit, Moroccan tactician Taoussi took over as Azam’s head coach. Under Taoussi, Sidibe has seen reduced playing time, with Paschal Msindo often preferred at left-back.

In addition to Sidibe’s situation, concerns have emerged regarding Azam’s Guinean forward, Gibril Sillah. 

The player has reportedly received an offer from AS Vita as well, although Azam’s leadership is still in talks with him to explore the possibility of retaining his services.

When reached for comment on Sidibe’s rumoured departure, Azam FC’s head of information, Thabit Zakaria, also known as “Zaka Zakazi,” dismissed the reports. 

“I don’t know anything about that. You know there’s a lot of information on the internet, but there is nothing like that happening within the club,” he stated briefly.