NBC Premier League champions Young Africans will be bidding to make it six straight wins in all competitions when they take on survival-chasing Dodoma Jiji at Jamhuri Stadium this afternoon.

Young Africans' title success was confirmed on Monday last week, and they then booked their spot in the CRDB Federation Cup final with an extra time 1-0 semi-final victory over Ihefu at Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium in Arusha on Sunday.

Few will be surprised to see Young Africans' performance levels drop considering that they have already secured a 30th league title and are merely playing for pride heading down the home straight, as they sit 11 points clear of city rivals Azam and Simba with three games still to play.

Head coach Miguel Gamondi will not want to end the campaign on a whimper, though, and will encourage his team to keep the winning momentum as they build towards the Federation Cup final against Azam.

Moreover, there is still the possibility of finishing the campaign with 80 points and setting a new record for a single 30-match league season if they win all their remaining three games

A win against Dodoma Jiji will see Young Africans equal the points tally from their 2021/22 title-winning season under coach Nasreddine Nabi. 

Therefore, coach Gamondi is still hungry to pick up maximum points.

Following a tough game against plucky Ihefu, Gamondi might make a few rotations to his squad though the back four of Nickson Kibabage, Kouassi Yao, Ibrahim Bacca and Dickson Job could remain intact.

The Argentine coach will weigh up whether to recall Joseph Guede to his first XI or to stick with Kennedy Musonda in attack alongside top scorer Stephane Azizi Ki, who has netted 15 times in the league this season and will be aiming to go clear of Azam's Feisal Salum in the race for the Golden Boot.

Hosts Dodoma Jiji come into the match having lost 1-0 to Simba last weekend. It was their 11th defeat of the season which extended their winless run to four games.

As many as seven teams are still involved in a hotly-contested relegation battle with just three games remaining, including Francis Baraza's men who sit 11th in the table and two points clear of 13th-placed Mashujaa, the team that they will face on the final day of the campaign.

There is hardly any reason for Dodoma Jiji to be optimistic of success today, as they have lost each of their previous five league meetings with Young Africans. 

They have already lost to Gamondi’s men twice this season including a 1-0 Federation Cup quarter-final defeat early this month.

Baraza's side have struggled for consistency at home this season, winning five, drawing six, and losing three of their 14 league games in front of their own supporters, but they have lost only one of their last five.

However, Baraza will motivate his side to avoid recording consecutive league defeats for the first time since he took over.