Author: BENJAMIN BEN
AfricaPress-Tanzania: BURUNDIAN Cedric Kaze is again heavily linked to succeed Zlatko Krmpotic at Young Africans who was sacked on Saturday evening after navigating the team to a 3-0 win against Coastal Union.
Kaze’s deal to join Yanga at the beginning of the season collapsed due to what he claimed as family matters, thereby opening the door for Krmpotic to take charge at the club.
Yanga parted ways with the Serbian tactician barely 37 days in charge of the team, leaving the team on top of the Mainland Premier League table on 13 points from five outings.
Also, linked to land at the Jangwani Street based club to navigate further the team is Zambian George Lwandamina, who had a successful stay at the club before he was shown an exit door in 2018.
The latest Krmpotic firing has been received with mixed feelings by football stakeholders in the country. Others believe that Yanga ought to have given the trainer more time to be with the team, while the other section embraces the decision, saying the team lacked chemistry.
The Serbian coach was sent packing few moments after guiding Yanga to a 3-0 win against Coastal Union at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Saturday night.
From his five league matches, Krmpotic stamped four wins and one draw and he also managed to win two friendly games.
According to the official statement from the club signed by Acting General Secretary Simon Patrick, which circulated few minutes after the game, the two sides reached mutual agreement to terminate the relationship.
It further thanked the coach for his professionalism, while at the club and wished him all the best in his future endeavours.
However, in his post-match interview after the game, Krmpotic disclosed that he was going to have a clear picture of each member in his squad after seven to eight league matches and not from the five played duels.
Against Coastal Union, goals netted in the second half of the match by Carlinho Fernandes ‘Carlinhos’, substitute Haruna Niyonzima and Burkina Faso imported striker Yacouba Sogne gave the Jangwani Street lads their first heavy victory in the league this season.
‘Carlinhos’ scored a glancing header from the ball which was delivered into the box by substitute Deus Kaseke in the 48th minute before skipper Niyonzima netted from a close range in the 52nd minute off a far post cross by Tuisila Kisinda.
Burkina Faso imported striker Sogne hit the last nail on the coffin to make it three nil and bring crucial points for his side after he rounded off a keeper and defender to score his first goal of the campaign.
Moreover, the Serbian trainer said despite winning 3-0, he was not entirely satisfied with the way they played, insisting that after scoring the three goals, his side failed to play easy football.
“I told my players to move away from the back but they could not listen probably because of cheers from fans but we must play better. This Yanga team can play better,” he said.
About Niyonzima, Krmpotic said he is a fantastic and experienced player, who is much needed at the club and his decision to start him on the bench was that he joined late the camp as he had private issues to solve.
On his part, Coastal Union coach Juma Mgunda disclosed that his side made mistakes which were well utilised by their opponents to get goals and points.
“As a team, we will come together to correct the mistakes which emerged so that next time, we do not repeat the same errors.
“When you play against skillful players and they understand that you repeatedly make the same mistakes, surely, you get punished. All the three goals came from the same mistakes,” he narrated.
