Coach Brandts eyes Simba scalp

Young Africans head coach Ernest Brandts has claimed that all his players have their focus set on the forthcoming derby against traditional archrivals Simba scheduled for May 18.

Ernest Brandts

The newly-crowned Premier League champions failed to sparkle as they were held in a 1-1 draw with Coastal Union in the penultimate Premier League fixture at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday.

And Brandts attributed his side’s below-par display to much attention being paid to the highly anticipated Dar es Salaam derby that will be staged at the 60,000-seater venue. “We did not play well, especially in the midfield and I think this is because everyone is thinking about the match against Simba, they’re eager to win that game,” Brandts revealed.

Yanga had a bright start when Jerryson Tegete shot them to the front after barely four minutes, but Abdi Banda scored with a sumptuous free-kick in the 18th minute to level the score for Coastal Union, who held on for a point. “One hundred per cent we should have won the game, we created a lot of scoring opportunities but my strikers could not convert them, it happens in football,” Brandts said.

With the title already wrapped, Brandts opted to rest some of his key players, including first-choice goalkeeper Ali Mustapha, Haruna Niyonzima, Athumani Idd, Khamis Kiiza, Simon Msuva and David Luhende. Young striker Abdallah Mnguli was handed his senior team debut, with fellow youth team players Leheni Kibingu and George Banda introduced as second half substitutes.

Revenge, pride and bragging rights will be at stake when the two most fancied and oldest clubs clash in the closing round of the 2012/13 league season. Yanga, who sealed the league with two games to spare, have spent the current season contemplating vengeance for the 5-0 demolition they suffered at the hands of their sworn rivals in the corresponding fixture last season.

Yanga are in confident mood ahead of the derby clash thanks to their much improved form, which has coincided with stuttering feat by their Reds counterparts. For the dethroned champs, Simba, the match would present them with an opportunity to inflict yet another defeat on their foes and take some consolation after experiencing a disastrous title defensive campaign.

The two teams played out to a 1-1 draw when they clashed in the first round match. Yanga came from behind to score a second half equaliser through a Said Bahanuzi penalty after Amir Kiemba had given Simba a first-half lead.

Source Tanzania Daily News

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