YOUNG Africans breathed a sigh of relief, ending their winless run in the Vodacom Premier League, after a 3-1 win over Singida United in Singida on Wednesday.
David Molinga first half strike put Yanga ahead, while Haruna Niyonzima and substitute Yikpe Gislain netted a goal apiece in the second half to put the game beyond reach, despite a late goal by Singida United’s Sixtus Mwasekaga.
Following the victory at the Liti Stadium, formerly known as Namfua in Singida, Yanga have moved from eighth to fourth place on the log after collecting 28 points from 15 outings.
Singida United are glued second bottom on ten points from 17 matches.
Yanga had lost six points in their two consecutive matches played in Dar as Salaam, the place where most of their league points are bagged but, this time; it has been an opposite experience for them.
It all started with a heavy 3-0 loss to Kagera Sugar at Uhuru Stadium before giving up 1-0 to Azam FC last Saturday. This is why Yanga came out like a wounded Buffalo yesterday.
Just 12 minutes from the kickoff Congolese ‘bull’ striker Molinga put Yanga in the lead after finishing Mapinduzi Balama’s spade work inside the box and beat onrushing goalkeeper Owen Chaima.
It was his fifth goal of the campaign, sitting top of the scoring chart for Yanga. Deus Kaseke, Molinga and Balama missed several scoring chances.
Notable was in the 23rd minute when Molinga’s set play was bravely saved by goalie Chaima. Newly-signed Ghanaian attacker, Bernard Morrison displayed some quality football, giving Yanga fans a lot to believe.
He was a constant threat to Singida United defenders. A minute before the interval, keeper Chaima had to dive to the left to parry off Kaseke’s powerful shot, volleying a cutback cross from impressive Morison.
In the 47th minute, set up Kaseke but the latter’s shot was timely blocked for a corner kick.
Yanga extended the lead three minutes later, when Niyonzima finished off from Morrison’s clever cut back pass. Yikpe came in for Molinga as Yanga maintained pressure.
In the 73rd minute Balama missed clear cut chance to score the third but Yanga were home and dry in the 77th minute, when Yikpe headed home, following a goalmouth melee.
A corner kick well taken by Morrison was connected by Lamine Moro but his initial shot failed to hit the target and Kaseke swiftly reacted to a rebound to drop a shot inside the box, which was flicked home by Yikpe for his first goal of the campaign.
Singida United pulled one back with seven minutes to go through Sixtus Mwasekaga, whose loping header beat Mnata, finishing off a long ball inside the box by veteran midfielder Athumani Idd ‘Chuji’.
In another match of the day, Azam FC beat host Mwadui FC 1-0 at the Kambarage Stadium in Shinyanga, with the lone goal netted by Shaban Idd.
Meanwhile, Young Africans Head Coach Luc Eymael has been warned by the Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB) for uttering language suggesting that he was racially abused.
The Belgian trainer (Eymael) picked a yellow card during the Mainland Premier League tie against Azam for his heated reaction after his defender Ally Sonso was shown a straight red card for his reckless challenge on Azam defender Nicholas Wadada.
