AfricaPress-Tanzania: YOUNG Africans’ barren draw with Azam at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam yesterday came a big relief to the top riders Simba as it enhanced their title race with voluminous 16-point lead.
If Azam had won yesterday, the gap could be reduced to 14 points, which Simba attain with five-game victories. Following the Yanga-Azam draw, Simba now need to win just three matches to win the league championship for the third time in a row.
Besides finishing goalless, the yesterday match was highly entertaining in all 90 minutes despite having a few controversial decisions by the central referee and his assistants. Azam began the match with visionary plans with the Zimbabwean import Never Tigere looking a man tasked to provide last passes to the strikers Iddi Selemani and Iddi Kipagwile upfront.
This was proved a just a minute after the game start when his long pass found Idd Seelamani Nado at the right flank, but Jaffar Mohamed reacted quickly to send the ball out for the quarter kick.
The short corner kick taken by Nado found Iddi Kipagwile unmarked and the player slammed home the ball past Metacha Mnata, but the referee disallowed it saying the scorer was offside.
Yanga responded quickly a minute later when a cross from overlapping full back Deus Kaseke failed to find David Molinga and Azam defenders quickly cleared it. Azam missed the golden opportunity in the 16th minute when Iddi Kipagwile shot directly at Metacha Mnata’s feet to deny his team a very possible lead.
In the 18th minute Molinga had to curse his luck after failing to connect home Patrick Sibomana’s free kick which was punched away by Azam FC goalkeeper Benedict Haule, for a corner kick.
Sibomana’s well taken corner kick was headed above the bar by Molinga.
Three minutes later Yanga’s goal was deeply troubled and this time it was Metacha’s agile hands saved the team.
Iddi Kipagwile again rounded two defenders but his shot went straight into Metacha’s waiting hands.
In the 44th minute, just a minute to the breather, Yanga narrowly missed the opener when Sibomana headed the ball an inch above the cross bar following Deus Kaseke’s cross from the right flank.
The teams finished the first half tied on a goalless draw.
Young Africans came back a rejuvenated side at the resumption, especially after calling in Bernard Morrison who replaced Sibomana.
His arrival added power to the team’s striking force and a few minutes later, his efforts nearly paid off, if it were not for goalkeeper Haule’s brilliance.
It was in the 48th minute when newly introduced keeper punched the ball away for an abortive corner.
In the 59th minute Azam benched off Never Tigere and brought in Bruce Kangwa. In the 64th minute Yanga introduced Mrisho Ngassa for Balama Mapinduzi and Yikpe Gislain for David Molinga.
In the 68th minute Azam’s Shaaban Iddi Chilunda squandered a golden chance when he shot between the waiting hands of Yanga’s goalie Mnata to deny his team a crucial goal.
In the 79th minute Yanga striker Ditram Nchimbi went out and his place was taken by Abdulazizi Makame. Just five minutes to stoppage time, Azam introduced Khalfan Hamdoun for Selemani Iddi Nado
Two minutes to the stoppage time, goalie Haule had to work hard to stop Haruna Niyonzima shot for a corner that didn’t yield fruits to Yanga.
Azam continue to remain second in the league table after hauling 59 points as Yanga are glued to the third place with 57 points.
