Simba draw first blood

SIMBA SC skipper, Method Mwanjale, lifts the Community Shield after beating Young Africans at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam, yesterday. Second right is Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) President, Walllace Karia and Vice-President, Michael Wambura. (Photo by Mohamed Mambo)

SIMBA SC skipper, Method Mwanjale, lifts the Community Shield after beating Young Africans at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam, yesterday. Second right is Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) President, Walllace Karia and Vice-President, Michael Wambura. (Photo by Mohamed Mambo)

SIMBA drew first blood of the season, beating their traditional rivals Young Africans 5-4 on penalties to lift the Community Shield at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam, yesterday.

The match had to be decided on penalties after it ended in a barren draw at the 90 regulation minutes.

Attacking midfielder, Mohammed Ibrahim scored the winning penalty after Juma Mahadhi fired Yanga’s sixth spot kick over the bar. Defender Kelvin Yondani missed his opening shot after goalkeeper Aishi Manula parried it off and Simba were on the mark when skipper Method Mwanjale, Emmanuel Okwi, Haruna Niyonzima and Shiza Kichuya all scored but-left back, Mohammed Hussein, who came in as a late substitute, saw his low shot parried off by keeper, Youthe Rostand.

Yanga penalties were netted by impressive Congolese midfielder, Papy Kabamba Tshitshimbi, Thaban Kamusoko, Ibrahim Ajib and Donald Ngoma. It was the fourth time for Simba and Yanga to meet in the Community Shield in which, each side won twice.

It was a slow game as both sides played cautiously throughout 90 minutes. Much concentration was in the midfield and goalkeepers from either side were hardly threatened.

As usual, the hype rose to the frenetic levels prior to the kick off, as applause in the stadium went crazy, especially when the two teams emerged from dressing rooms for pre-match warm ups.

Simba were the first to come out amid deafening chants from their fans and then Yanga came out with Zimbabwean midfielder, Kamusoko leading the way onto the pitch and were also greeted with thunderous applause from their fans.

Before that, it was the battle of supporters as each side sang songs praising their respective stars. Simba chanted Niyonzima and Okwi names, whereas Yanga praised Ajib.

Drums and traditional dances both inside and outside the stadium added flavour to the game with the stands that accommodate Simba followers heavily contested shortly before the kick off.

After the kick off, Yanga were on a front foot, making full use of the midfield with the partnership of Kamusoko and Tshitshimbi proving fruitful on several occasions for the Jangwani Street side.

Just two minutes into the game, Ajib, who otherwise, had a quite game skipped past Mwanjale but the defender, fouled him just before pulling his trigger. Yanga looked more threatening going forward in the first 15 opening minutes, while Simba were slowing things down.

Simba, on the other hand relied much on gifted midfielder Niyonzima, who was all over the pitch unsettling his former employer, partnering with Ghanaian James Kotei and industrious Muzamiru Yassin, while striker Okwi and Kichuya operated on the flanks to feed Burundian Laudit Mavugo, who traded as lone striker.

As expected, much footwork was seen at the middle of the pitch with Tshitshimbi winning much of the balls, while Simba were spreading the balls wide to capitalise on the pace of Kichuya, Okwi and Niyonzima’s creativity.

In the 16th minute, Mavugo nearly found the back of the net, rising up high above Yondani and Andrew Vincent to connect Erasto Nyoni’s long ball inside the box, but his header sailed narrowly wide.

Then in the 19th minute, Niyonzima turned Gadiel Michael inside out to set up Okwi, but the Ugandan drifted his shot wide six yards away. Midway in the first half the game turned from a 50/50 affair as Simba slightly stepped up the gear to win lion share of possession, but lacked killer punch at the final third. Thitshimbi was showing some class in the middle of the pack.

He was smart at stealing and distributing balls. And in the 33rd minute, Mavugo forced his way into the box but his shot came off a defender. Simba continued to be on ascendency and four minutes before the break Niyonzima latched onto a shot pas from Kichuya but drove his shot wide.

After the break, Simba started more strongly and in the 48th minute, Mavugo nearly directed his header into the back of the net from Nyoni’s cross. In the 53rd minute, Kamusoko danced past defender but could not hit the target.

Four minutes later, Simba ought to have gone infront but Okwi will rue a missed opportunity, racing clear past defenders and attempted to round off the keeper, but the Ugandan striker miss-kicked the ball in the process.

Both sides made changes with Juma Luizio coming in for Mavugo, Muzamiru was replaced by Mo Ibrahim and then Mohammed Hussein replaced injured Nyoni, while Yanga introduced Juma Mahadhi for Raphael Daud, while Hassan Kessy replaced Juma Abdul.

In the 78th minute, Emmanuel Martin almost scored for Yanga after outpacing Ally Shomari, but Aishi Manula was well placed to collect the ball.