KINONDONI Municipal Council (KMC) endured another painful afternoon in the Premier League after suffering a 2-0 defeat to Azam FC, a result that further underlined their alarming downturn this season.

The match, played on Sunday at the KMC Complex in Dar es Salaam, saw Azam’s attacking midfielder Idd Seleman ‘Nado’ produce a decisive second half brace to sink the struggling hosts and pile more pressure on their technical bench.

After a balanced first half in which KMC tried to contain Azam’s fluid attacking play, the breakthrough came ten minutes into the second period. In the 55th minute, Nado stepped up to take a direct free kick just outside the box. With precision and confidence, he curled the ball beyond KMC goalkeeper Fabien Mutombora, leaving the Burundian shot stopper with no chance.

The goal visibly deflated KMC, who have found it difficult to recover from setbacks throughout the campaign.

Ten minutes later, Nado struck again. This time, the move originated from a short corner routine engineered by Feisal Salum ‘Fei Toto’. The ball was laid into Nado’s path, and he fired a low, driven shot that beat Mutombora once more to double Azam’s advantage in the 65th minute.

The two well executed set pieces highlighted Azam’s efficiency and composure qualities KMC have sorely lacked this season.

The defeat leaves KMC rooted to the bottom of the league table with just eight points from 16 matches. They have managed only two wins, alongside two draws and a staggering 12 defeats. With survival hopes already hanging by a thread, the Kinondoni based side are increasingly staring at the real possibility of relegation.

Their defensive frailties and lack of cutting edge in attack have defined their campaign. Even home advantage has offered little comfort, as demonstrated by Sunday’s defeat in front of their own fans.

Head coach Abdallah Mohamed ‘Baresi’, appointed on December 30, 2025, to replace Brazilian tactician Marcio Maximo, has yet to spark a turnaround. Since taking charge, Baresi has overseen seven league matches, recording just one win a narrow 1-0 victory against Mashujaa on February 3 alongside one draw and five defeats.

The struggles predate his arrival. Under Maximo, KMC played nine league matches, winning once, drawing once and losing seven. During that spell, they scored only two goals while conceding 14, collecting a mere four points before the Brazilian’s departure in early December.

The managerial change has so far failed to arrest the slide, and questions are now mounting over whether KMC can engineer a dramatic revival in the remaining fixtures.

For Azam FC, the victory marked a significant boost to their campaign. The win lifted them to eighth place with 19 points from nine matches. Impressively, the Ice Cream Makers remain unbeaten, having secured five wins and four draws so far.

They have scored 13 goals while conceding only twice an indication of their defensive solidity and growing tactical discipline. Seleman’s match winning performance further emphasizes the depth of quality within their squad, particularly in set piece situations where they have proven lethal.

With momentum on their side, Azam will look to build consistency and push further up the table as the season progresses.

Elsewhere over the weekend, Singida Black Stars delivered a commanding 3-1 victory over Mtibwa Sugar at Jamhuri Stadium in Dodoma.

Singida Black Stars made their intentions clear early on. In the fifth minute, Emmanuel Keyekeh surged down the left flank and delivered a dangerous cross. Although Horso Muaku’s initial effort was blocked, the rebound fell kindly to Ndumumwe Mossi, who volleyed home to give the hosts the lead.

The advantage doubled in the 17th minute when Ibrahim Imoro’s perfectly delivered corner found Muaku, who rose above defenders to head in Singida’s second goal.

Singida maintained their dominance in the second half, and in the 59th minute Kennedy Juma added a third with another header, this time from a pinpoint corner by Ande Koffi.

Mtibwa Sugar managed a late consolation in the 88th minute through Raizin Hafidhi, who finished off a low cross from Daitus Peter. However, it proved too little, too late, as Singida comfortably secured all three points.

The result moved Singida to 10th place with 15 points from nine matches, while Mtibwa remain fourth with 21 points from 15 games.