Yanga quartet ruled out of Azam match
Young Africans players attend a training session at Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam yesterday ahead their Mainland Premier League match against Azam FC at Azam Complex on Saturday. PHOTO|ERICKY BONIPHACE
What you need to know:
Yanga and Azam will face off at the Azam Complex in a crucial Mainland Premier League showdown, a game George Lwandamina’s men must win if they are to remain serious contenders for the title.
Dar es Salaam. Mainland giants Young Africans will be without at least four first-team players for tomorrow’s match against Azam FC as they recover from injuries.
Yanga and Azam will face off at the Azam Complex in a crucial Mainland Premier League showdown, a game George Lwandamina’s men must win if they are to remain serious contenders for the title.
Team physician Edward Bavu confirmed yesterday that they will miss the services of their Zimbabwean players Donald Ngoma and Thabani Kamusoko, who are still nursing injuries.
Also on the list are Abdallah Shaibu, who sustained a knee injury during their Mapinduzi Cup matches in Zanzibar, and Pius Buswita.
But Bavu attempted to take the heat off Yanga ahead of the anxiously awaited game.
Always, you want to have all the players available; so, this is a problem,” he said.
“But – also like always – we believe in our collectivity, in the squad as a team… During the footballing season, these things do happen. We have to trust in all our players,” he added.
Yanga are currently third in the league, trailing second-placed Azam and high-flying Simba.
They have garnered 25 points, five behind Azam and seven adrift of title favourites Simba, who will face Majimaji on Sunday at the National Stadium.
But they will welcome back winger Geofrey Mwashiuya, who is now fit after missing a number of matches due a knee injury, according to the team physician.
The match will now start at 4pm instead of 7pm as earlier announced, Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) said yesterday.
Meanwhile, a second-half goal from Omary Mponda was all Ndanda FC needed yesterday to beat Stand United 1-0 in the Mainland Premier League match yesterday.
Following the hard-earned win, Ndanda now rank seventh in the league table, with 16 goals in the kitty.
Mponda scored the goal nine minutes to time when he cleverly beat two defenders to unleash a sizzling shot that gave Stand United goalkeeper no chance.
Stand United were a better side in the first half at Nangwanda Sijaina Stadium in Mtwara, but poor finishing cost them dearly.
