Yanga, Azam post victories

Dar es Salaam. Mbeya City’s unbeaten run in the Vodacom Premier League came to a halt yesterday after losing 1-0 to reigning champions Young Africans at the National Stadium. 

Yanga’s victory, however, did not alter the log as rampaging Azam FC held grip on the top spot with a 4-0 rout of Kagera Sugar at the Azam Complex yesterday.

At the National Stadium, Mrisho Ngassa struck in the 15th minute to ensure the Jangwani Street giants kept pace with Azam in the pursuit of the title.

Azam currently top the table with 36 points, one above Yanga while Mbeya City and Simba SC sit third and fourth with 31 and 30 points respectively.

Yanga, who went into the match on the back of an unimpressive showing at Coastal Union last week, started brightly and should have drawn the first blood in the first minute had it not been for Didier Kavumbagu’s failure to connect with the ball. Two minutes later David Luhende outpaced Mbeya City defenders and delivered a mouth-watering cross that just went begging.

Mbeya City regained their poise afterwards and came close to drawing parity in the 13th minute, but Anthony Matogolo’s  cross went a few centimetres wide.

Two minutes later, Yanga counterattacked and from a rebound, Ngassa struck powerfully to leave Mbeya City custodian David Burhan ball watching.

City refused to back down and could have punished Yanga in the 27th minute after Matogolo beat Oscar Joshua, only for his curling volley to ricochet.

The Mbeya-based side continued to pile pressure on Yanga, but their finishing was below par as the latter clang to the wafer-thin lead until the breather.

After the recess, Mbeya City looked rejuvenated and tormented the Yanga defence with clever through balls, but still finishing was their major undoing. 

In the 46th minute, City suffered a huge blow when Steven Mazanda was sent off after picking the second yellow card, thus forcing the visitors to play the remaining minutes with 10 men.

With a man advantage, Yanga started creating more chance, but profligacy rate was also alarming as Simon Msuva kept on fluffing chance-after-chance.

On the hour-mark, Yanga almost doubled their lead when Ngassa threaded the ball through to Hamis Kiiza, who replaced Kavumbagu, but the Ugandan’s shot went straight to Burhan’s safe hands.

 Both sides made substitutions towards the final whistle, but neither team managed to score.

At the Azam Complex, a brace from Brian Umony and a goal apiece from Jabir Aziz and Kevin Friday sealed an emphatic victory for the Joseph Omog side. Tanzania Prisons were to host Coastal Union yesterday, but the match has been pushed back to Wednesday.