AZAM FC striker Obrey Chirwa lauded teammates for stepping up their performance that earned them a hard fought 1-0 win over Polisi Tanzania in the Mainland Premier League encounter on Sunday.
Azam gained maximum points from Ushirika Stadium in Moshi thanks to a slim 1-0 win over the determined debutants Polisi Tanzania side, who have been posting good results at their turf in league matches.
Chirwa, who scored the solitary goal, appreciated good teamwork from his colleagues, saying without them, he could not have scored.
The defeat was sixth for Polisi Tanzania, who bagged 19 points from 13 games and are placed ninth on the log as they eye to reappear in the top flight league next season.
However, it was a second back to back loss for the Moshi based team, who previously went down 1-0 to Namungo FC at Majaliwa Stadium in Lindi.
For Azam, the victory was a good response as they lost 1-0 to Coastal Union at Mkwakwani Stadium in Tanga three days ago, hence the ‘ice cream makers’ had to win at all cost to win back trust from their fans.
Speaking after the match, Chirwa, who was the hero on the day thanked good cooperation from his teammates, insisting that had it not been teamwork, he could not have scored the goal.
“Immediately after losing the previous game against Coastal Union, as players, we agreed to put it all today (Sunday) to ensure that we win and take all three points,” he said.
He added that losing their previous game was a challenge for them to win the next match and that they will continue to fight hard to garner three points in their other lined up league games.
In his remarks, Azam’s Assistant Coach Idd Cheche blamed the nature of the pitch despite emerging victorious.
“As usual, when you play on bad pitches like this, the game plan you wanted to apply usually fails but today (Sunday), we told the players to work hard regardless of the pitch and we succeeded to win, which is good for us. Now, our focus is on Singida United,” Cheche said.
He then lauded Polisi Tanzania, saying they have a quality squad which fights throughout the match.
On his part, Polisi Tanzania midfielder Pato Ngonyani conceded the defeat, saying his side did not deserve to win on the day.
“Our opponents played with big pressure to win the game. For us, despite being good in all departments, we failed to contain them as such, we need to work hard for other upcoming games,” he said.
