AfricaPress-Tanzania: SIMBA now need three wins to be crowned Mainland Premier League champions, as they thrashed Mwadui FC 3-0 at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam yesterday.
Hassan Dilunga put Simba ahead in the early opening minutes before Agustino Samson scored an own goal midway in the first half, as skipper John Bocco netted the third in the second half.
Following the victory, runaway leaders Simba retained a healthy lead in the standings with 18-point buffer between them and second placed Azam with eight rounds of matches remaining.
Simba lead the league table on 75 points from 30 matches. It was a perfect revenge for Simba, as they lost 1-0 to Mwadui during the first round match at CCM Kambarage Stadium in Shinyanga.
It was a strong start by Simba as they pushed for an early opener and they were rewarded in the 9th minute, following a swift counter attack.
Said Ndemla won the ball at his own half and set up Luís Miquissone, who released Bocco on the left and the skipper squared it for Dilunga to easily pass the ball into a yawning net.
In the 17th minute, Ndemla drilled a trademark 25 metres shot that narrowly missed the target with goalkeeper Mahmoud Amir well beaten.
Simba were 2-0 up in the 20th minute, when Agustino Samson pumped the ball into his own net in an attempt to clear Shomary Kapombe’s low cross in the box.
It all started from Ndemla’s neat long pass to Dilunga, who played a back pass to Kapombe and the right wing back exchanged passes with Miquissone before his cross was clutched into the net by Samson.
The presence of Ndemla in the midfield meant that Simba were a bit more direct going forward where Miquissone, Dilunga and Bocco stretched Mwadui’s defence of Joram Mgeveke and Samson Agustino to the limit.
Simba were much composed in defence with Kennedy Juma and Pascal Wawa well protected by Erasto Nyoni, who was deployed as defensive midfielder.
Seconds before the breather, Miquissone missed from a sitter after being set clear by lively Kapombe. In the second stanza both team came searching for goals but Simba looked a more likely side to score.
Mohammed Hussein fired wide three metres out in the 55th minute, after neat exchange of passes with impressive Brazilian combative midfielder Gerson Fraga. Bocco headed into the back of the net for the third in 57th minute.
It all started from Ndemla’s quick thinking as his neat grass cutter pass to Miquissone left the Mozambican face to face with the keeper but his initial shot came off the cross bar only for the lurking Bocco to quickly pounce on the ball to head home.
Simba made three changes in the 61st minute, when Kagere came in for Bocco and Kenyan midfielder Francis Kahata replaced Dilunga, while Miquissone was replaced by Zambian Clatous Chama.
And, immediately Chama set up Kagere, who rounded off the keeper but raced to a tight angle as his shot sailed wide. Raphael Aloba was replaced by Mohamed Jaffary for Mwadui, while Simba also called in Yusuf Mlipili for Kapombe. A minute before the final whistle Muzamiru Yassin came in for Fraga.
In another matches yesterday, KMC beat Ruvu Shooting 2-1 at the Azam Complex in Chamazi, while Singida United are almost relegated, following a 2-0 loss to JKT Tanzania at the Jamhuri Stadium in Dodoma.
The Singida lads remain languishing bottom of the table on 15 points from 30 matches.
Namungo beat Kagera Sugar 2-0 at the Majaliwa Stadium in Ruangwa, Lindi, while Ndanda FC won 1-0 over Biashara United at the Nangwanda Sijaona Stadium in Mtwara.
In Tanga, Coastal Union and Mtibwa Sugar battled to a barren draw at the Mkwakwani Stadium.
In another matches, Mbeya City lost 0-1 at the hands of Alliance FC of Mwanza at the Sokoine Memorial Stadium in Mbeya, while in Moshi, hosts Polisi Tanzania and Iringa’s Lipuli FC fought to a 1-1 draw at the Ushirika Stadium.
