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| Simba to start with exciting journey in their matches during new exciting season / |
The 2026/27 NBC Premier League season is set to kick off on August 14, and teams are gearing up to battle it out for those all-important three points in a lineup packed with thrilling and fiercely competitive matches.
Simba is one of the teams facing a tough start, having wrapped up last season in second place with 73 points, just behind the champions, Young Africans SC, who finished with 75.
Simba will kick off their campaign on August 16 with a match against Kagera Sugar, a team that has just been promoted from the Championship, at Kaitaba Stadium.
Following that, Simba will hit the road again on August 19 to take on Pamba Jiji FC at CCM Kirumba Stadium in Mwanza, before squaring off against Singida Black Stars on August 22 at Airtel Stadium.
These two teams have already clashed in the Kagame Cup, where Simba came out on top with a 2-1 win, but this time they’ll be facing off in a league match.
Simba's first home game is scheduled for August 27 against Coastal Union at Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam, and they’ll wrap up their opening five matches on August 31 by hosting Geita Gold at the same venue.
Under the guidance of Head Coach Steve Barker, Simba is determined to kick off the season on a high note in the race for the title.
On the other hand, TRA United is starting the season with a tough schedule, facing four away games and just two at home in their first six matches.
TRA United will start its campaign on August 16 against JKT Tanzania at Major General Isamuhyo Stadium in Dar es Salaam, starting at 2:30 PM.
On August 20, it will face Azam FC at the Azam Complex, before traveling to Tanga on August 24 to play against Coastal Union at CCM Mkwakwani Stadium.
Another match will be against Dodoma Jiji on August 29 at Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium in Arusha, before meeting Mbeya City on September 4 at the same venue.
TRA United will close its first six matches by facing Pamba Jiji on September 13 at CCM Kirumba Stadium in Mwanza, starting at 10:00 PM.
Geita Gold itself is expected to start the season by playing its first two matches away before returning home to Bukombe Stadium in Geita.
The first match will be against Mbeya City on August 14 at Sokoine Stadium in Mbeya, before facing Namungo on August 18 at Majaliwa Stadium in Ruangwa.
On August 22, Geita Gold will play its first home match against Kagera Sugar at Bukombe Stadium, which will also be one of the early matches for the team to use this new venue inaugurated this year.
On August 28, Geita Gold will have another tough test when it hosts Azam FC at Bukombe Stadium, before traveling to Dar es Salaam on August 31 to take on Simba SC at Uhuru Stadium.
Coastal Union of Tanga, famously known as Wagosi wa Kaya, is also ready for the new season with its first five matches expected to be highly competitive.
Coastal Union will open its campaign on August 15 by hosting Mashujaa FC at CCM Mkwakwani Stadium in Tanga, before traveling to Dar es Salaam on August 20 to play against defending champions Young Africans SC at Uhuru Stadium.
On August 24, it will be at home to welcome TRA United at CCM Mkwakwani Stadium, while on August 27 it returns to Dar es Salaam to face Simba SC at Uhuru Stadium. The fifth match will be on September 6 against Polisi Tanzania at Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium in Arusha.
Pamba Jiji FC has also been handed a tough schedule in its first five matches, with the Mwanza-based team coached by Head Coach Francis Baraza meeting some of the teams expected to be highly competitive this season.
Pamba Jiji will start on August 14 against Dodoma Jiji at CCM Kirumba Stadium in Mwanza, before facing Simba SC at the same venue on August 19.
On August 23, Pamba Jiji will play its first away match against Azam FC at the Azam Complex in Dar es Salaam.
After that, on August 28 it will meet defending champions Young Africans SC at Uhuru Stadium, before playing against JKT Tanzania on September 5 at Major General Isamuhyo Stadium.
Mashujaa FC, which uses Lake Tanganyika Stadium for its home matches, starts the season with a challenging schedule in its first five games. The first match will be on August 15 against Coastal Union at CCM Mkwakwani Stadium in Tanga, starting at 12:30 PM.
On August 18, Mashujaa will travel to Arusha to play against Fountain Gate at Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium, starting at 10:00 PM.
On August 23, it will face Mbeya City at Sokoine Stadium in Mbeya, before returning home on August 27 to host Kagera Sugar at Lake Tanganyika Stadium in Kigoma.
The fifth match will be on September 4 against Dodoma Jiji at Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium in Arusha. Dodoma Jiji FC will open its campaign on August 14 with a match against Pamba Jiji at CCM Kirumba Stadium in Mwanza.
The team, which uses Jamhuri Stadium in Dodoma as its home ground, is already in camp in Arusha continuing its preparations for the new season.The club's Information Officer, Moses Mpunga, said preparations are going well ahead of the new season.
After the match against Pamba Jiji, Dodoma Jiji will play against Mbeya City on August 19 at Sokoine Stadium in Mbeya, before returning home on August 25 to host Polisi Tanzania at Jamhuri Stadium in Dodoma.
On August 29, Dodoma Jiji will be away to TRA United at Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium in Arusha, before facing Mashujaa FC on September 4.
JKT Tanzania is all set to kick off the season on August 16, hosting TRA United at the Major General Isamuhyo Stadium.
Then, on August 20, they’ll hit the road for their first away game against Polisi Tanzania at Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium in Arusha. It’s worth noting that Polisi Tanzania has made a successful return to the Premier League after competing in the Championship.
Next up, on August 24, JKT will face off against the defending champions, Young Africans SC. This team is coming into the new season with a bang, having signed several high-profile players, including striker Peter Shalulile, who previously played for Mamelodi Sundowns.
On August 29, JKT Tanzania will be back at home to take on Namungo FC, and they’ll wrap up their first five matches on September 5 by hosting Pamba Jiji at Major General Isamuhyo Stadium. Overall, the opening schedule for the 2026/27 NBC Premier League is packed with challenges, as teams like Simba, Pamba Jiji, Coastal Union, Geita Gold, TRA United, Mashujaa, Dodoma Jiji, and JKT Tanzania will need to capitalize on these early games to secure vital points. With many teams having prepared extensively, this season promises to be fiercely competitive, and football fans are eagerly anticipating who will emerge victorious in this thrilling contest.