KAGERA Sugar cut Young Africans down to size, following a 3-0 win in the Vodacom Premier League at the Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam yesterday.
Yusuf Mhilu gave Kagera Sugar the first half lead and substitutes Ally Ramadhan and Peter Mwalyanzi scored a goal apiece in the second half as the Kagera lads posted their first victory over Yanga for the past seven seasons.
The last time Kagera Sugar beat Yanga in a league match was in the 2014/15 season, which they won 1-0 at the Kaitaba Stadium in Bukoba.
And, yesterday’s victory was the fourth for Kagera Sugar against Yanga, since were promoted into the topflight and after 21 league games played against the two sides, Yanga have won 17 times.
Yesterday’s match presented the first test for newly assembled Yanga technical bench under Belgian tactician, Luc Eymael, who penned down a short-term contract with the club.
And, it was bitter pills for Belgian tactician and Yanga fans to swallow as the visitors clearly deserved to win as they dominated possession.
Yanga played most part of the game down to ten men after midfielder, Mohamed Issa Banka was sent off for a second bookable offence a minute before the interval.
Following the defeat, Yanga dropped from seventh to eighth place on the log with 25 points from 13 matches, while Kagera Sugar moved from eighth to fourth place on 27 points from 17 outings.
The match started at a cracking pace and it was an end to end affair in the opening ten minutes.
After several near misses, former Yanga player Yusuf Mhilu beat goalkeeper Faroukh Shikhalo with a powerful shot in the 13th minute to open the score for the visitors.
Mhilu, who came from Yanga youth ranks latched onto a poor clearance by Kelvin Yondani to unleash a first time shot that sailed straight into the back of the net and he muted his celebrations in respect to his former employer.
A minute later, Yanga responded with a fierce attack, Mapinduzi Balama’s cross was almost clutched into the back of the net by Patrick Sibomana but keeper Benedict Tinoco was alerted between the posts to clear the danger.
Yanga looked a more side likely to score and a spell of slick passing game in the 20th minute saw Haruna Niyonzima released down the left side and the Rwandese playmaker raced into the box but his cut back pass found no body to make contact with the ball.
Another chance came in the 31st minute, when a long throw in ball by Abdulaziz Makame met Ditram Nchimbi in space but the striker’s header inside the box flew off target.
Yanga came knocking again few minutes later, hard fighting attacker Mapinduzi Balama strode past two defenders and released the ball to Sibomana but the latter’s shot was cleared.
The Jangwani Street lads suffered a huge blow in the 44th minute, when midfielder Mohamed Issa Banka was given marching orders for a second bookable offence.
It was a slow start into the second half as both side forced string of passes in the middle of the pitch.
Kagera Sugar coach Mecky Maxime called out Jackson Kibirige for Ally Ramadhani while Yanga introduced Mrisho Ngasa for Sibomana.
Maxime also introduced Peter Mwalyanzi for Kelvin Sabato after Yanga had introduced Ivorian striker Yikpe Gislain signed during the mini-transfer window before Deus Kaseke came in for Balama.
It was Kagera Sugar, who were rewarded in the 66th minute, as they netted the second through Ramadhan.
Niyonzima conceded possession and Aballah Seseme quickly set up the scorer whose shot took a slight deflection off Lamine Moro to sail into the back of the net, leaving goalkeeper Shikhalo puzzled.
In the 81st minute, Yanga almost pulled one back as Ditram Nchimbi raced clear to a long ball but keeper Tinoco came off his line to clear the danger for a corner kick.
Then, Yikpe fired a shot that came off the side nets after being set clear by Abdulaziz Makame.
Mwalyanzi put an icing on the cake a minute before the final whistle, after he beat Shikhalo with a fine header, following a neat display from Kagera Sugar.
Meanwhile, Yanga have sealed the signing of former Orlando Pirates striker Bernard Morrison. The Ghanaian striker was formally introduced at the club yesterday
