AfricaPress-Tanzania: DEFENDING champions Simba laboured to collect maximum points with a 2-1 win over debutants Ihefu FC in the Mainland Premier League opener at the Sokoine Memorial Stadium in Mbeya yesterday.
Skipper John Bocco netted the opener early on in the first half but the new comers pulled level through Omary Mponda almost immediately. Midfielder Muzamiru Yassin netted the winner few minutes before the breather.
The game did not take a while to heat up and in the space of a few minutes, one brilliant play on each side got things going.
Just in the 10th minute Bocco netted the opener, running clear to a clever Bernard Morrison’s through pass, went to a tight angle but skillfully managed to side foot his shot to the far post past goalkeeper Andrew Kayuni.
Morrison found himself in trouble in Simba’s left-side position but produced a magnificent turn to skip away from it, then pinged a remarkable long pass over the top to Bocco to race clear.
Bocco was right in the thick of things, punishing the mistakes very deservedly goal for the striker as he fought hard throughout the game.
However, Ihefu kept their cool and they pulled level four minutes later through striker, Omary Mponda with a blistering shot past diving goalkeeper Aishi Manula. He latched onto a perfect pass from Willy Mgaya.
It was a sublime skill from Mponda as he teased a couple of Simba defenders – Joash Onyango and Kennedy Juma on the edge of the penalty area before turning and arrowing a low shot past Manula.
From then, it turned up to be an end to end affair. Creative midfielder, Clatous Chama missed a chance to reclaim Simba’s lead in the 20th minute, when he latched onto a pass from Jonas Mkude, outpaced defender but delayed to take his shot only for the defender to slid and clear the danger.
Ihefu proved to be real challengers as they went toe to toe with Simba, pushing defenders to the limit and Manula was forced out of his line twice to clear the danger.
After half an hour mark, Shomary Kapombe’s cross found Bocco in space but his header went straight into the waiting hands of the keeper.
Simba regained the lead three minutes before the break through Muzamiru Yassin, who raced to a Chama’s pass.
Ihefu thought they had pulled level in the few minutes before the break, when Mponda pounced on a drop ball to power home but line two – Jesse Erasmo’s flag was up for an offside and the match referee Martin Saanya ruled it out. However, TV replays suggested that it was otherwise, a clear goal based.
After the break, both teams came rejuvenated and Hassan Dilunga’s shot came off the top bar after a spell of nice interplay by Simba in the 47th minute.
Simba introduced Ibrahim Ajib and Meddie Kagere for Morrison and Dilunga and the pair injected pace upfront.
In the 74th minute linesman Erasmo ruled out another goal, this time for Simba for an offside. Ajib well weighted pass found Kagere in spaced and the bull striker’s diving header went straight into the back of the net but the flag was up for an offside.
Other matches of the day saw hosts Namungo FC snatching a 1-0 victory over Coastal Union from Tanga at the Majaliwa Stadium in Ruangwa, Lindi region.
Striker Bigirimana Blaise scored the only goal of the match in the 64th minute and it means that Burundian goal getter has set a record to become the first player to score in the 2020/2021 league season.
At the Karume Stadium in Mara, host Biashara United emerged with a 1-0 win over newly promoted Gwambina FC thanks to a Kelvin Friday’s 88th minute strike.
Mtibwa Sugar and Ruvu Shooting battled to a barren draw at the CCM Gairo ground in Morogoro.
At the Jamuri Stadium in Dodoma, another debutants, Dodoma Jiji beat Mwadui FC 1-0. Khamis Mcha scored the solitary goal in the 69th minute.
