News
MAR 25.10.2016
Tanzania might not be represented in LaLiga in terms of players but that hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm for Spanish football in the east African nation, according to official broadcaster Azam TV. “While there aren’t any Tanzanian players in LaLiga, there is always great interest in African players in general. The fans are very proud of them,” match commentator and analyst Geoffrey Lea told www.laliga.es. “For example, players such as Villarreal CF’s Cedric Bakambu (DR Congo), Malaga CF’s Carlos Kameni (Cameroon), UD Las Palmas’s Kevin-Prince Boateng (Ghana), and even though he plays for France, FC Barcelona’s Samuel Umtiti (Cameroon-born).”
Tanzanian father
A less well-known player, forward Akram Afif, has also raised the profile of Real Sporting in Tanzania. “Akram Afif has a Tanzanian father,” said Lea. “He signed for Villarreal but plays on loan at Real Sporting. Although he was born in Qatar and plays for them, his father Hassan Afif is well remembered for his time as a player with Simba SC, one of the biggest clubs in Tanzania. Hassan won several titles as a player and a player/coach there. As a result, fans are always keen to know more about Akram Afif.
"In the past there was a similar situation with Danish defender Patrick Mtiliga, who played with Malaga between 2009 and 2011. He had a Danish mother and Tanzanian father and this raised interest in him.”
More competitive
With only three points separating the top six after nine rounds of matches, the 2016/17 LaLiga Santander campaign is experiencing one of the closest openings in the last decade. “LaLiga is more popular than it has ever been in Tanzania, in particular Real Madrid and Barcelona, though Atletico Madrid are catching them up,” said Lea. “Everybody always wants to know what’s happening with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, how they are doing and what records they are breaking.
"Teams such as Valencia CF, Villarreal, Sevilla FC and Athletic Club are also starting to get more recognition. We can already see this season is going to be closer than in previous years. After only a few matches, Madrid and Barça have dropped quite a few points. The league is becoming more competitive and this is a good thing.”
Azam TV are an official LaLiga broadcaster in Tanzania (http://www.azamtv.com/tan/)
© LALIGA - 2016