Yanga, Azam win as title race hots up
Yanga forwards Hamis Kiiza (left) and Hussein Javu celebrate after the former sealed a brace against Tanzania Prisons during their Vodacom Premier League match at the National Stadium yesterday. Yanga won 5-0. Photo | Michael Matemanga
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The visitors pressed for an equaliser and earned a penalty in the 34th minute when Peter Michael was fouled, but Lugano Mwangama blasted the resultant kick over the bar.
Dar es Salaam. The title race is reaching a thrilling climax with Young Africans and Azam FC fighting neck-and-neck for the Vodacom Premier League crown. Azam, gunning to wrest the title from Yanga, lead the 14-team table with 50 points after labouring to beat stubborn Mgambo JKT 2-0 at Mkwakwani Stadium yesterday.
John Bocco opened the scoring on the hour mark with a classic finish before Brian Umony put the score beyond doubt in the 82nd minute to ensure the Joseph Omog’s boys maintained their grip on the driver’s seat. Yanga, on the other hand, made light work of Tanzania Prisons yesterday, recording a comprehensive 5-0 victory at the National Stadium.
Emmanuel Okwi, Mrisho Ngassa, Hamis Kiiza (2) and Nadir Haroub all registered their names on the score sheet to help the defending champions keep their title-defence mission well on track.
The demolition of Prisons means that Yanga have taken their points to 47 and have played a game less compared to Azam. The Yanga-Prison’s game got off brightly with both sides crafting chances from the midfield, but neither managed to make the most of them. Prisons came close to breaking the stalemate in the 15th minute had it not been for Frank Hau’s failure to connect with Salum Kumenya’s pass. Yanga broke the deadlock in the 20th minute through Okwi who scored from a free kick taken from outside the box.
The visitors pressed for an equaliser and earned a penalty in the 34th minute when Peter Michael was fouled, but Lugano Mwangama blasted the resultant kick over the bar. Ngassa doubled Yanga’s advantage in the 37th minute after a superb team play involving Hussein Javu and Simon Msuva.
After the recess, Yanga looked fresh and troubled the Prisons defenders with pace, but had to wait until the 67th minute to score the third through Kiiza who replaced Okwi. Ten minutes later, Yanga got the fourth through Haroub who slotted home from a penalty kick after Javu was fouled by Jumanne Elfadhir. With the match looking done and dusted, Kiiza came into the picture once again in the 88th minute when he latched onto Javu’s pass to hit the final nail on the Prison’s coffin.
