AZAM FC Assistant Coach, Idd Cheche conceded that Mtibwa Sugar is not an easy team to beat after the two teams played out to a 1-1 draw on Thursday at Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
Azam were seeking to post their sixth straight win in the Vodacom Premier League (VPL) but that did not materialise as each team only managed to salvage one point from the game.
The Chamazi based club still remain one of the key title contenders of the season as they currently occupy second place on the ladder with 36 points after 17 games and the gap with leaders Simba SC, who play this afternoon is eight points from the same number of matches.
Speaking after the game, Idd admitted that Mtibwa Sugar is among the best teams in the country which is not easy to defeat basing on the quality they have.
“We had command of the game especially in the first half as we were able to create numerous scoring chances but in the second half, our opponents came back into the match stronger to make the encounter tough,” he said.
He then disclosed that Mtibwa Sugar have all the qualities that a good team should have, insisting that they are not a side to be taken for granted since they are capable to win.
His counterpart Zuberi Katwila said he was contented with a point garnered from the match against what he described as a tough opponent.
“My boys executed well the directives I gave them, which later yielded one point and it is better for us bearing in mind that the game was very difficult,” he said.
He however said for the sake of football development in the country, referees are supposed to be fair in all matches without taking sides regardless of which team is playing.
“Sometimes, you get surprised that a professional referee makes questionable decisions during the match. I totally dislike commenting on referees but in other instances, we (coaches) are forced to react,” he said.
He added: “Our task is not to criticise referees but we are compelled to complain especially when what we see that fair play is undermined during the game. We sometimes choose to be silent otherwise; we could have been frequently suspended as a result of poor decisions made by referees.”
Ismael Mhesa scored the leading goal for Mtibwa Sugar in the 67th minute of the second half before Richard Ella D’jodi levelled for the hosts in the 77th minute into the game via a spot kick.
Both teams finished the match with ten men on the field following flashing of two red cards to Mtibwa Sugar defender Dickson Job (72), while Azam’s Shaaban Idd Chilunda was shown marching orders in the 90th minute.
