Dar es Salaam. Azam FC ended Young Africans’ dominance in the CRDB Federation Cup after edging the Mainland Tanzania champions 3-2 in a thrilling final played at the CCM Kirumba Stadium.
The defeat brought an end to Yanga’s remarkable run in the competition, having won the trophy in four consecutive seasons. The Jangwani Street giants lifted the title in the 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons, establishing themselves as the competition’s most dominant side in recent years.
Azam started brightly and took the lead in the 27th minute through a well-worked move involving Ivorian midfielder Jean Jacques Ngita. His incisive pass found striker Jonathan Sowah, who calmly finished to hand the Ice Cream Makers a deserved advantage.
Yanga responded positively and eventually levelled matters through Zimbabwean striker Prince Dube. The forward finished off a fine attacking move after being set up by midfielder Allan Okello, restoring parity before the break.
The game took another twist when Azam were reduced to 10 men. Defender Che Malone was shown a straight red card by referee Sifu Amon from Mbeya following a rough challenge on Dube, leaving Azam with an uphill task for the remainder of the contest.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Azam refused to retreat and continued to threaten on the counterattack. Their determination paid off in the 85th minute when substitute Elias Lawi headed home from a well-delivered corner kick by former Yanga midfielder Feisal “Fei Toto” Salum to make it 2-1.
However, Yanga once again showed resilience and found another equaliser just three minutes later. Team captain Bakari Mwamnyeto rose highest to score after another excellent delivery from Okello, sending the match into extra time.
With penalties looming, Azam delivered the decisive blow in the 112th minute. Substitute Jephte Kitambala capitalised on a defensive mistake by Yanga centre-back Ibrahim “Bacca” Hamad, who misjudged an attempted back-pass to goalkeeper Djigui Diarra.
Kitambala pounced on the loose ball and calmly slotted home, sparking wild celebrations among Azam players and supporters.
The victory handed Azam their first major silverware in several seasons and denied Yanga a fifth successive Federation Cup title. It also highlighted the fighting spirit of the Chamazi-based side, who overcame adversity and played a significant part of the match with 10 men.
For Yanga, the defeat marked a disappointing end to their Federation Cup campaign and brought to an end one of the most successful eras in the history of the competition.
