MEDDIE Kagere came from the bench to score the winner for Simba as they beat Azam FC 3-2 in an energy supping Mainland Premier League match at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday.
Following the results Simba remained firmly top of the 20-team pile with 68 points from 26 outings, while Azam remained second on 48 points from the same number of matches.
Simba will have three days to recover, ahead of their crunch league battle against their traditional rivals Young Africans at the same venue on Sunday.
In a drizzling weather, both teams stuck in a heavy traffic and arrived at the venue late as a result, Simba did warm up for less than five minutes, while Azam had at least ten minutes to keep their bodies warm.
Redhot Simba registered their sixth straight win after going down 1-0 to JKT Tanzania at Uhuru Stadium in the city on February 7th this year. Since then, Simba have neither lost nor drew in the five league games.
The yesterday’s match started at a cracking pace and it was an end to end affair. After several near misses Azam went ahead after just five minutes through Never Tigere.
It all started from Iddi Selemani’s cross in and Tigere netted from a rebound after his initial shot came off Pascal Wawa’s frame. Despite conceding, Simba kept their composure and in the 8th minute, they pulled level.
Defender Erasto Nyoni beat the challenge from Yakub Mohamed, to head home an inch perfect cross from Clatous Chama.
In the 16th minute, Simba were 2-1 up following a slick move that saw Chama threading a wide pass to Deo Kanda who squeezed his shot to the far corner of goalkeeper Razack Abarola’s right side.
Then in the 24th minute, Luis Miquissone cross found Shomari Kapombe in space but the right wing back’s header couldn’t hit the target as Simba were in ascendency and displaying classic football in wet pitch.
Immediately after the restart, Simba were in front foot and Wawa’s missile from a set piece chipped the paint on the cross bar.
However, it was Azam who pulled level in the 49th minute when Iddi Selemeni started a move and went on to score after being set by Shaban Iddi Chilunda.
Simba regained the lead in the 71st minute, when substitute Meddie Kagere proved his instincts in front of the goal as he timely arrived at Kapombe’s cross to beat keeper Abarola at the near post for his 15th goal of the campaign.
Elsewhere, Namungo FC playing away shared the spoil with Mtibwa Sugar after a 1-1 draw at the Gairo Stadium in Morogoro. Namungo continue fourth on the log on 47 points from 25 matches.
At the Kaitaba Stadium in Bukoba, host Kagera Sugar were stunned by visitors Mbeya City 2-3, while at the Mabatini ground in Mlandizi, Ruvu Shooting earned a 1-0 victory over Alliance FC.
In Singida, woes continue to host and bottom placed Singida United after 1-0 to Coastal Union at Liti Stadium, whereas at Karume Stadium in Musoma, Biashara United beat Tanzania Prisons 1-0.
Three matches scheduled for yesterday were postponed due to downpour. Lipuli FC and Ndanda match at Samora Stadium in Iringa was called off.
Others were matches involving Mwadui FC and Polisi Tanzania at the Mwadui Complex in Shinyanga and KMC against JKT Tanzania at Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
