Author: MEDDY MULISA
AfricaPress-Tanzania: KAGERA Sugar Head Coach, Mecky Maxime has boasted his team will upset Young Africans in an eagerly awaited Mainland Premier League clash at the Kaitaba Stadium in Bukoba today.
Maxime told the ‘Daily News’ in an interview that they have the ability to repeat what they did in the first round of the league, when they collected maximum three points by silencing Yanga SC 3-0 at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
“My charges are in top form and have been training hard for the match. We are well prepared to face Yanga. Football fans should turn up in thousands to cheer our team. “We promise them to see a well-balanced match. We expect it will be a tough match but we are confident of emerging victorious. Our target is to finish among the best three teams at the end of the league season,” he said.
Industrious attacker Yusuf Muhilu, the leading scorer in Kagera Sugar squad with 13 goals will be a man to watch as he will be looking to add more goals. Kevin Sabato, who scored a hat-trick against Singida United, will also add impetus on the Kagera forward line.
A contingent of 25 Yanga players and officials arrived in Bukoba on Sunday and are training hard at Ntungamo Major Seminary, about five kilometres from Bukoba town.
Last week, Yanga outclassed Kagera Sugar with a 2-1 victory in the quarterfinal clash of Azam Sports Federation Cup (ASFC) in a hotly contested match at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam that saw referee Shomari Lawi getting a three month’s suspension.
In almost every corner in Bukoba Municipality traders were making quick money by selling Yanga jerseys. Meanwhile, Yanga yesterday gave kudos to the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) for dragging back their match against Kagera Sugar set today.
Initially, the match was scheduled tomorrow at the same venue but the football governing body decided to reschedule it so as to enable Yanga have ample time of preparations ahead of their Sunday traditional derby match versus Simba SC.
“Let me take this opportunity to thank TFF for rescheduling our match because it will give us enough time to prepare well against Simba on Sunday,” said club’s Head of Communication Hassan Bumbuli.
Adding, Bumbuli said the arrival of Bernard Morrison in the squad will help to add momentum in their today’s match against Kagera Sugar.
“During our past match against Biashara United, we had many injuries which were recorded something which compelled the coach to seek the services of Morrison, who was left in the city,” he said.
Bumbuli disclosed that Haruna Niyonzima who limped off prematurely against Biashara United on Sunday due to injury is responding well to treatment.
On his part, the club’s Vice-Chairman Fredrick Mwakalebela hailed the reception they received in Bukoba, saying it has given them more energy to fight hard today.
“To say the truth, we were surprised with the big turnout of our fans at the airport and they should come in big numbers tomorrow (today) to rally behind their team,” he said.
He also said the arrival of Morrison has brought morale in the squad, while believing that they have nothing to lose.
“The team is now complete even though we will miss the services of captain Papy Tshishimbi and Mapinduzi Balama but what we have now is promising,” he said.
A recent 2-1 win by Yanga in the semifinals of ASFC against Kagera Sugar was criticised by pundits saying it was biased hence the hosts have another opportunity to prove their abilities.
