Yanga run riot to take top spot

DEFENDING Champions Young Africans leapfrogged their traditional rivals Simba to once again reclaim the top spot in the Premier League after punishing Africans Sports 5-0 at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

The massive win came courtesy of goals from Burundian Amissi Tambwe, who notched a brace, Kelvin Yondani, Donaldo Ngoma and substitute Matheo Anthony, moving Yanga to 50 points from 21 outings.

Coming into the yesterday’s meeting, Young Africans and African Sports were chasing very different goals. Yanga were aiming to get back into the league summit while Sports were hoping to claw their way outside the danger zone.

In the end, it was Yanga who walked out winners, opening a two-point lead over their traditional rivals Simba, while African Sports lost a crucial ground to shore up their survival bid.

With an eye on the driver’s seat, holders Young Africans came out all guns blazing and had a goal rightly ruled out for offside after just three minutes. Two minutes later, the yellow and green donning men went close again, when Zimbabwean striker Ngoma headed narrowly wide from Juma Abdul’s cross from the right wing.

The hosts were inevitably the dominant side and pinned African Sports into their own half, but had to wait until after 32 minutes to break the deadlock, with defender Kelvin Yondani was the unlikely scorer of the opening goal.

The no-nonsense long-serving defender received the ball 25-yards out and took a shot that deflected Ngoma, leaving Sports goalkeeper Faraji Kabali with no chance to make the save.

Yanga continued to press hard, searching for the second goal that arrived five minutes later through Ngoma, who volleyed home an incredible acrobatic effort from Abdul’s inviting cross from the right flank.

On resumption, Yanga continued where they left in the first half and extended their lead in the 51st minute through Burundian striker Amissi Tambwe, who capitalised on Kabali’s blunder to make it 3-0.

The former Simba youth team goalkeeper rushed from his goal seeking to beat Tambwe to Haruna Niyonzima’s long, ball but ended fumbling with it as the ball slipped through his fingers, allowing the Yanga striker to control and tap into an empty net.

It was his 16th goal of the season, that moved him joint-top scorer with Hamis Kiiza. With the CAF Champions League tie against APR due this weekend, Yanga coach Hans Van der Pluijm opted to rest his star striker Ngoma in the 58th minute, with Matheo Anthony sent on.

Barely seconds after coming on, Anthony headed home the fourth goal, following a well measured cross from the down the left flank by fellow Zanzibari, Haji Mwinyi Mngwali. The game was one-way traffic with Yanga players demonstrating hunger for more goals.

Tambwe notched his second of the day and the fifth for his time with a superb left-footed effort taken from just outside the 18-yard box after being set up by Thaban Kamusoko.

With the goal, Tambwe ensured that he overtook Simba and Ugandan hitman, Kiiza in the thrilling race for the golden boot. The game followed similar pattern with Yanga enjoying the lion’s share of possession but the score remained 5-0 in favour of the reigning champions.

Pluijm’s demolition gangs have now scored a total of 50 goals from 21 games played so far this season.