Tusker have been the team to watch winning three consecutive matches , two in Dar es salaam and Wednesday evening clash against Bandari in Zanzibar.

Tusker beat Yanga of Tanzania 1-0 and arch rivals Simba 3-0 in Dar es Salaam before arriving in Zanzibar as sole visitors in an eight-team tournament — organised by the Zanzibar Football Association [ZFA] — whose final is on January 12.

Bandari are the lesser known of three Zanzibari clubs taking part — the others are Jamhuri of Pemba and Miembeni of Unguja — alongside top sides from the Tanzania Mainland League, namely, Simba, Azam, Coastal Union and Mtibwa Sugar.

Tusker new signing from Mathare United, Jesse Were, continued his scoring form from the Dar es Salaam friendlies, scoring another brace to add to Ishmael Dunga’s strike for a 3-0 half time lead against Bandari.

Another Tusker new boy, Michael Olunga, came off the bench for a spectacular scoring debut for his new club, also earning a double to make it 5-0. Bandari’s consolation came at the close of the heavy punishing from the Kenyans.

Were had also scored twice against Simba while Dunga had the sole goal over Yanga in Dar es Salaam.

Tusker’s first major test, then, will have to be on Friday when they play their second Group ‘A’ match against Simba, who will be seeking revenge of their beating in Dar es Salaam last Saturday.

Tuskers are using their three week tour of Tanzania to find cohesion of a club with almost a dozen new signings in the run-up to a new Tusker Premier League season and the [Africa] Champions League fixtures in February.

The Mapinduzi Cup commemorates Zanzibar’s revolution of January 12 1964.