THE newly hired Young Africans Head Coach Luc Eymael had a poor reception after witnessing from stands his side going down 4-2 in post-match penalties to Mtibwa Sugar at the Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar on Thursday.
Eymael, who is yet to be officially paraded by the Jangwani Street giants, watched the entire clash on the day as he gears up to fill the void left by the former coach Mwinyi Zahera.
The Belgian mentor is said to have signed 18 months contract to propel further the team according to information made available by the club’s Mobilisation Officer Antonio Nugaz on Thursday, during a brief introduction of the coach.
Yanga were knocked out of the ongoing Mapinduzi Cup as they threw away a 1-0 lead in the last grasp of the tense game courtesy of Mtibwa Sugar striker Kibwana Shomari, who cancelled out Deus Kaseke’s first half goal.
Reacting after the match, Yanga Assistant Coach Said Maulid said lack of concentration in the closing stages of the match was the main reason which made them to lose a slot of reaching in the finals.
“We had a good game throughout the match only that we lacked concentration especially at the key moments of the game, giving them (Mtibwa Sugar) a chance to equalise and took the tie into the spot kicks,” he said.
He then brushed aside claims that his charges deliberately gave in the match to their opponents, saying the claims are baseless and if that was really the case, then Mtibwa Sugar could have won it within the normal playing period without waiting to go to penalties.
In his words, the team’s third choice goalkeeper Ramadhan Kabwili, who manned the goal posts for the second match in the Mapinduzi Cup, said he was saddened to miss an opportunity to play in the final and probably win the title.
“It could have been a great moment for me because I have never won any silverware at Yanga hence, this was a good chance to achieve that but in the end, luck was not on our sides,” Kabwili said.
He further said he was happy to see improvement in his shot stopping responsibilities, saying the two games he stood in between the poles during the competition helped a lot to restore back confidence from the technical bench.
“All Yanga goalkeepers are good that is why when you are given a chance to play, you need to prove your ability,” he said.
On his side, Mtibwa Sugar Coach Zuberi Katwila said he is ready to face any team in the finals scheduled on Monday, insisting that winning the championship is their priority.
“The most important thing for us is to have a good health until on the final day, which is the only guarantee to do better,” he said.
To Mtibwa Sugar fans, Katwila encouraged them to come in big numbers on Monday and rally behind their team, saying they want to become new Mapinduzi Cup champions.
The match hero on the day, Shomari, who netted the last minute goal and scored the winning penalty for his side, said hard work, was the main reason behind their success.
“It was a tough match but the good thing is that we have reached in the finals hence ready to take on any opponent who will come on the way,” Shomari, the former Serengeti Boys player said.
