SIMBA recovered after last week ’ s loss to put Mtibwa Sugar to the sword, with a 3-0 win in a thrilling Mainland Premier League encounter at the Jamhuri Stadium in Morogoro on Wednesday.
Skipper John Bocco first half opener was spiced up by Mohamed Hussein and Hassan Dilunga second half strikes as Simba maintained their grip of the top spot on 53 points from 21 matches.
Second- placed Azam FC also kept pace with a 1-0 win over Polisi Tanzania at the Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam Wednesday, thanks to a solitary 49th minute strike by midfielder Mahathir Yahya.
The ‘ice cream makers’ have now accumulated 44 points from 21 outings Head Coach Sven Vandenbroeck deployed twin strikers of Bocco and Meddie Kagere and the system worked well as Simba stretched Mtibwa Sugar defenders to the limit throughout the game.
First choice goalkeeper, Aishi Manula returned to the team for the first time since featuring in a 2-2 draw against traditional rivals Young Africans in Dar es Salaam on January 4th this year.
The Reds came into the match like a wounded buffalo, following their 1-0 loss to JKT Tanzania in the previous league match at the Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam last Friday.
A positive start from the visitors nearly led to an early breakthrough with a spell of slick passing game and Dilunga made his way into the penalty area but his shot went straight into the waiting hands of goalkeeper Shaaban Kado.
In the 12th minute, Kagere missed from a sitter; as he arrived at a well dropped in cross by Shomari Kapombe, but the striker fluffed with a chance.
Eight minutes later, Simba survived a scare, when Issa Rashid’s cross found Juma Luizio in space at the far post but Manula made a timely block to deny Mtibwa Sugar a clear goal.
Simba looked more likely to score, but they kept wasting chance after chance. Notable was in the 27th minute when Francis Kahata defence- splitting pass found Kagere in space but his shot was blocked by the stretching leg of Shaaban Kado.
And, in the 37th minute, Kagere wasted another chance, racing clear past defenders to come face to face with keeper Kado but his weak left foot shot sailed wide.
Kagere was at it again a minute before the breather, when Bocco went to the byline and his cross found Kagere but his header failed to hit the target.
Then, Bocco netted the opener in a very difficult position, running into a square pass from Kagere, rounded off the keeper and outmuscled defenders Henry Joseph and Kibwana Shomari to hit the far post net.
It was the second of the campaign for Bocco. Simba started the second half from where they had left in the first half.
And, Pascal Wawa shot from a set piece came off the frame of the goalkeeper in the 46th minute. Seconds later, Hussein made it 2-0 with a spectacular finish.
He raced down the left and his speculative cross went straight into the far corner, leaving keeper Kado stunned.
Simba went rampant and two minutes later, Bocco’s back heel pass found Kahata, but the Kenyan midfielder’s rasping shot was spilled off by the keeper to a corner kick.
Simba were home and dry in the 58th minute with a well built up team goal.
Dilunga finished with aplomb after a spell of one- two touches involving the scorer, Clatous Chama and Bocco. For Dilunga, it was his seventh goal of the season.
Bocco almost netted his second of the day only to see his bouncing shot from a well taken set piece by Wawa tipped over off the bar by Kado.
A minute before the final whistle, substitute Luis Miquissone almost netted the fourth, arriving at a well measured cross by Kagere but his header narrowly sailed over the bar.
Next up for Simba is a trip to Iringa to face host Lipuli at the Samora Stadium on Saturday.
In other games, bottomplaced Singida United’s woes continued after suffering a 1-0 loss to Namungo FC at the Liti Stadium in Singida, while at the Kaitaba Stadium in Bukoba, visiting Alliance FC from Mwanza outshined host Kagera Sugar with a 2-1 surprise win.
Mwadui FC went down 2-0 to Ndanda FC at the Kambarage Stadium in Shinyanga, while JKT Tanzania fought to a 1-1 draw with Lipuli FC at the Samora Stadium in Iringa and at Karume Stadium in Mara region, Biashara United beat Mbao FC 1-0.
