Ligi Kuu Bara: Taoussi reveals why Azam FC have underperformed this season

Photo Credit - Azam FC Media.

Azam FC head coach Rachid Taoussi has laid bare why the Mainland Premier League outfit as struggled for consistency in all fronts this season.

The Ice Cream Makers are having a difficult season having been knocked out of the CAF Champions League after losing to Rwanda’s APR in the first round, suffered an early exit from the domestic Cup after losing to Mbeya City on penalties and they are out of the race for the top-flight title.

Azam are currently sitting third on the 16-team league table with 51 points, 16 fewer than leaders and champions Young Africans (Yanga SC) while Simba SC are third with 57 points.

“I cannot say I’m comfortable with where we are in the league,” said Taoussi as quoted by the Guardian. “I’m a coach who wants to see our efforts produce major achievements. Small setbacks won’t deter us from our goals.”

“If you want to compete against strong teams like Yanga and Simba, you have to consistently perform at the highest level,” he noted. “Unfortunately, we were knocked out of African competitions, and more recently, we lost our chance at the FA Cup. That was another major blow for us.”

He continued: “One of the biggest challenges we’ve faced this season is repeated injuries to key players, which has made planning difficult.”

Looking ahead of the season, he said: “First, I want us to close the season strongly. But there’s a lot we need to fix moving forward. Azam is a big club - bigger than all the others here in my view - but we need to approach every challenge with a strong mentality.”

Azam will next face Kagera Sugar at Kaitaba Stadium on Saturday.