AS Young Africans SC continues to strengthen its grip at the top of the Mainland Premier League, Singida Black Stars are ready to flex their muscles in today’s crucial encounter, aiming to close the gap on Azam FC and stake a claim for third place.

Currently, Yanga leads at the top with 49 points from 19 matches, having won 16, drawn one and lost two.

They are closely pursued by their arch-rivals, Simba SC, who sit second with 47 points from 18 matches from 15 wins, two draws and just one defeat.

Singida Black Stars, despite being seen as underdogs in this clash, remain hopeful of narrowing the gap between them and Azam FC. With 37 points from 19 matches (11 wins, four draws and four losses), they are still in contention for a topthree finish.

Azam FC occupies third place with 42 points, five ahead of Singida Black Stars.

A win for Singida today would bring them within two points of Azam and reignite their hopes of claiming that coveted third spot.

However, their fate is not entirely in their hands. Singida will also be hoping for Azam to drop points in their upcoming matches against Coastal Union on Wednesday and Simba SC next Monday.

Yanga SC has been in scorching form recently, claiming emphatic victories hammered KMC and Ken Gold 6-1 respectively, they smashed Kagera Sugar 4-0 at home and secured a goalless draw away to JKT Tanzania.

Their attacking firepower and defensive strength make them the clear favourites for today’s match. Singida Black Stars, on the other hand, have had a mixed run of results.

While they celebrated a hard-fought 1-0 victory over JKT Tanzania who previously held Yanga to a barren draw, they suffered a 2-0 loss to KMC and played out a 2-2 draw at home against Kagera Sugar.

With the title race heating up and the battle for third place intensifying, today’s match promises to be an exciting contest.

Yanga will be eager to extend their lead at the top, while Singida will fight to keep their top-three ambitions alive.