AfricaPress-Tanzania: HOLDERS Simba emphatically romped to the top of the Mainland Premier League table, following a 4-0 win over JKT Tanzania at the Jamhuri Stadium in Dodoma yesterday.
Classy goals by striker Meddie Kagere, who netted a brace and one each from Crispine Mugalu and Luis Miquissone, put the army side on sword.
The Msimbazi Reds surged to the top of the table on 13 points from five matches, knocking Young Africans off summit.
Yanga temporarily went top of the table after beating Coastal union 3-0 at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Saturday to register 13 points from five matches but Simba are ahead on goal difference.
However, both Simba and Yanga position were likely to be affected by the match between Azam FC and Kegera Sugar that was to be played at the Azam Sports Complex in Chamazi late yesterday as win for the ‘ice cream makers’ would automatically put them on the summit on 15 points from maximum five matches.
Jamhuri Stadium was packed to the brim yesterday and Simba showed intent to win from the word go.
It took only three minutes for Simba to take the lead from Kagere’s super glancing header. His third of the campaign.
It followed a well weighted pass by Larry Bwalya, who maneuvered in a crowded area close to the centre circle and with a couple of JKT Tanzania players in close attendance the Zambian creative left footer played a clever pass into the box only for Kagere to outrun Frank Nchimbi and glanced his header past goalkeeper Patrick Muntary.
Two minutes later Mugalu netted the second for Simba and his third of the campaign. Miquissone raced to a Jonas Mkude long pass wide and his cross was glanced home by Mugalu.
JKT Tanzania threatened in the 18th minute, when Michael Aidan well whipped set piece was bravely collected by goalie Aishi Manula. Then, the match turned out to be an end to end affair.
In the 20th minute, Kagere had the better of the defender Aidan on the left side before releasing a low cross but Mugalu fluffed with a chance to net the third. In the 34th minute Clatous Chama fired wide after racing to Mkude’s defence splitting.
Five minutes before the break, Simba were 3-0 up. Kegere proved his goal scoring instincts, netting his fourth of the campaign. The goal started from Bwalya, ‘soft touch master’ who teased Nurdin Mohamed before he dropped a long pass for Miquissone and the Mozambican attacker quickly set up Chama, who laid a pass for the ‘Bull strike’ to power home with a first time left foot shot.
After the break, Simba started from where they had left in the first half. However they survived a scare in the 49th minute when Kelvin Sabato blasted wide after latching onto a drop ball following a mistake by Joash Onyango.
In the 54th minute, Miquissone scored fire cracker, a contender for the goal of the season. Initially, Kagere’s shot was blocked by Adam Adam and the ball landed on Miquissone’s path and the diminutive attacker released a cracking shot that precisely beat keeper Muntary for his first goal of the campaign.
Head Coach Sven Vandenbroeck made first change in the 58th minute, when midfielder Muzamiru Yassin replaced injured Kagere.
And, in the 65th minute Mugalu failed to make contact with ball at the far post off a Muzamiru’s cross inside the box, with keeper well beaten.
In the 73rd minute, Bernard Morrison replaced Chama, while in the 77th minute Hassan Dilunga came in for Miquissone.
