Young Africans assistant coach, Fred Felix Minziro, has issued a warning that it was too early to judge whether the team will defend its title or otherwise, insisting that they are re-organising and will continue to take each Mainland Premier League match as it comes.
Yanga were on their way back to Dar es Salaam from Mbeya yesterday ready to face Azam at the National Stadium on Sunday after managing only two points from possible six against Mbeya City and Tanzania Prisons.
The holders were held to a 1-1 draw by Mbeya City in a tense match at the Sokoine Memorial Stadium on Saturday and settled for a similar score against Prisons at the same venue on Wednesday. Prior to travelling to Mbeya, Yanga had also battled to a disappointing 1-1 draw with Coastal Union at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam to slow down their impressive start to their title defence campaign.
Yanga started the league strongly as they thumped Ashanti United 5-1 in the opening day on August 24. And, Minziro is aware that the team has experienced a wobble stages in its past three league matches. He thinks the team still has much to improve to hit back its top form and appease disappointed fans but was also quick to promise that Yanga will bounce back strongly.
“We know the results have disheartened fans but they should remember that the league is just in its fourth round, there is still much to play and its too early to judge who is who, lets wait at least until after seven rounds,” said the outspoken Yanga legend. Minziro said his team will have to take the game against Azam FC seriously in a bid to secure the desired outcome.
However, he said the technical bench will have to approach the forthcoming match against Azam the way they did in the Wednesday match against Prisons considering that all matches in the domestic top flight event have the same level of importance. Minziro admitted his side encountered stiff opposition against Mbeya teams, saying the hosts battled hard throughout.
Once again, Minziro complained on the bad state of the pitch, saying it contributed to his team’s failure to play in its full potential. “Sokoine Stadium pitch is in pathetic condition, it does not allow normal movements with players struggling to control the ball and keep it on the ground,” he said, wondering why the stadium owners were failing to keep an eye on the venue.
“We really need to improve the state of our venues otherwise, our football standard will continue to struggle,” he said, while praising the management of Shinyanga’s Kambarage Stadium as one of the few venues up country that was in good shape. Meanwhile, top flight match between leaders Simba SC and Tanga’s Mgambo Shooting at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday has fetched 58m/-, from 10,241 fans who bought tickets.
The Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) Information Officer, Boniface Wambura said each team got 13m/-. Simba were in awesome form, in which striker Amis Tambwe hit four as Haroun Chanongo grabbed a brace as the giants comprehensively thumped Mgambo JKT 6-0, to go top of the Mainland Premier League table.
In another development, the TFF TFF’s Legal, Ethics and Players Status Committee has issued a 14-day ultimatum to all premier and first division league teams to submit contracts of their coaches. The decision was made after it was realized that most teams are yet to submit the contracts as required by the regulations.
