DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (Interstat) — Azam FC will host Tanzania Prisons on Friday, May 22, in a Ligi Kuu Bara matchup at a venue to be determined.

The game pits two sides separated by two points in the standings but trending in opposite directions. Azam FC (6-7-6) enters off a 2-0 home win over Pamba Jiji on May 14, while Tanzania Prisons (5-5-9) is coming off a 1-0 victory at Singida Fountain Gate FC on the same day.

Those results snapped a five-match winless streak for Tanzania Prisons, which had lost four straight before the win. Azam FC, meanwhile, has won three of its past four matches, including a 3-0 win at Mtibwa Sugar and a 3-0 home victory over JKT Tanzania.

The teams played to a scoreless draw on March 5 at Tanzania Prisons, the only head-to-head meeting this season.

Players to watch

Azam FC forward Bola Kitambala scored the decisive goal in the win over Pamba Jiji, entering as a substitute and finding the net. Kitambala has been a productive option off the bench for Azam this season.

Tanzania Prisons forward Othman Ochu was a key contributor in the win over Singida Fountain Gate, providing an assist after entering as a substitute. He is part of a forward group that also includes Kelvin Sengati, who recorded an assist in that same match.

Simulator projection

An Interstat game simulator projects a 1-0 win for Azam FC.

What’s at stake

Azam FC, which has lost only once in its past seven matches (4-2-1), will look to continue its climb up the table. The team has been stingy defensively, recording four clean sheets in that stretch.

Tanzania Prisons will aim to build on its recent win and avoid a return to the struggles that defined its previous five matches, when it was outscored 11-2. The visitors have scored just five goals in their past eight games.

Both teams play again Saturday, with Azam FC hosting Dodoma Jiji and Tanzania Prisons visiting Mashujaa FC.