AfricaPress-Tanzania: SIMBA continue to command Tanzanian football scene after grabbing the Community Shield brighten their start of the 2020/21 Premier League season.
Simba won the season opener’s throne after defeating Namungo 2-0 at the full-packed Sheikh Amri Abeid Kaluta Stadium in Arusha yesterday.
Simba have now won the Community Shield for fourth time in a row as they did it in 2019-20, 2018-19 and 2017-18 Rhythm and skill showdown heralded the beauty of the yesterday’s encounter from the both teams, but overall, Simba were superior at the middle of the terrain.
At their best forms from the winners were Clatous Chama, Jonas Mkude and the later entry Larry Bwalya.
In the match, the Ghanaian Bernard Morrison was hero as his strikes proved to be very lethal to Namungo team.
Morrison scored one goal and had a vital assist in his team’s first goal.
Skipper John Bocco opened Simba’s goal account early in the 7th minute through a spotkick.
Simba were awarded a spotkick after Bernard Morrison was fouled deep inside the box when racing to see Namungo goalkeeper, Nurdin Balora.
The goal woke up Namungo players who began to several times to trouble Simba defence, especially on the left flank where Sixtus Sabiro was a constant menace.
Lucas Kikoti and Jafari Abdulrahaman, who joined the Southern Tanzania team from Young Africans created most of the moves that seemed occasionally to give Simba defenders; Joash Onyango, Kennedy Wilson and Shomari Kapombe a tough time.
But no goal was scored again until the end of the first 45 minutes.
The resumption saw Namungo coming up with more energetic as Simba looked a bit relaxed with their slim 1-0 lead. Still their relaxation didn’t mean they were completely out of form as relied on counter attacks.
But the stalemate changed again fifteen minutes after resumption. The one-two-three pass play initiated by Clatous Chama found Bernard Morrison well-placed and his powerful volley past keeper Balora sealed his team a 2-0 lead in the 60th minute.
Eight minutes after scoring his team’s second goal, Morrison was replaced by the Zambian import, Larry Bwalya in the 68th minute.
In the 79th minute David Kameta ‘Duchu’ was called in to replace off form Hassan Dilunga and a few minutes later Meddie Kagere came in to replace skipper John Bocco.
Four minutes to stoppage Ibrahim Ajib replaced Clatous Chama, but failed to change the results as Simba ended 2-0 victors.
The Minister for Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Harrison Mwakyembe, who was the chief guest, awarded a coveted shield to Simba skipper John Bocco.
It was second time Simba hand Namungo a defeat at the neutral venue.
They stamped a 2-1 win in the final match of Azam Sports Federation Cup(ASFC) staged at Nelson Mandela stadium in Sumbawanga, Rukwa early this month.
