Jerry Tegete notched a last minute equalizer as Premier League Champions Young Africans fought back from two goals down to hold Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) to a 2-2 draw in a mouthwatering pre-season friendly match at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
Haruna Niyonzima
URA were on the blink of a second victory in their tour of the country when a brace from budding midfielder Lutimba Yayo put the Ugandans 2-0 up against Ernest Brandts’ in the 51st minute but Didier Kavumbagu put them back into the game before the hosts rescued a late equalising goal thanks to Tegete.
URA defeated Simba 2-1 in their opening match staged at the same venue on Saturday whey they bounced back from a goal down. Hundreds of passionate Yanga fans, who turned up for the build-up match at the state-of-the-art stadium were denied an opportunity to have a glimpse of their newly-recruited player Ogbu Brendan Chukwudi.
The highly-rated striker,who has joined the Jangwani Streetbased side from Heartland of Nigeria, sat out after sustaining injury when warning up and was replaced in the starting line-up by Kavumbagu. The Burundian joined the likes of Tegete, Said Bahanuzi and Shaaban Kondo in the hosts’ strong attacking force.
Newly-signed goalkeeper Deogratius Munishi started on goal in the absence of first-choice Ali Mustafa who is attending national team duties. Fringe players like defender-cum-midfielder Salum Telela and Ibrahim Job were also given an opportunity to impress head coach Brandts. URA made four changes from the squad that beat Simba 2-1 on Saturday.
The hosts started brightly, with Mbuyu Twite striking the wall with a ferocious shot from a good position in the opening minutes before Oscar Joshua shot inches wide as Yanga went all out in search for an early goal. URA defended in depth to try to negate the pace in the Yanga attack but also carved out a few chances of their own. Munishi was forced into making a point-blank save in the 27th minute as URA threatened to take the lead.
The Ugandan side gradually took control of the proceedings and were increasingly creating chances. Yanga’s Hamis Thabit was unfortunate as he picked up injury in the first half and was taken out with Bakari Masoud replacing him. Yayo, who scored a brace against Simba, proved his worth when he opened the scoring for URA with a stunning left foot effort shortly before the breather.
The Ugandans took a 1-0 lead at the interval. Yanga approached the second half in similar fashion as they started the first half, enjoying possession but it was URA who managed to extend their lead in the 51st minute thanks to yet another spectacular effort by Yayo that Munishi could only guide into his net.
A few minutes later Yayo, the former Uganda U-20 midfield ace, stung Munishi’s hands with a powerful shot as he was close to notching his hat-trick. Substitute Abdallah Mnguli, who had replaced Kondo in the second half, was cautioned when he attempted to score with his hand four minutes after the hour mark. Yanga pulled one back after Juma Abdul’s inch-perfect cross down the right flank was headed home by Kavumbagu.
Oscar Joshua was denied by URA keeper Yassin who could only palm the defender’s power-packed shot with no Yanga player insight to pounce on the loose ball in the 75th minute.
Rwandan Haruna Niyonzima may have landed back only few hours before the game’s kick off but that did not prevent Brandts from throwing the Amavubi ace into the fray as he tried to rescue at least a draw from the encounter.
Yanga were the only attacking side in the final stages and after passing a couple of scoring opportunities, Tegete notched a lastminute equalizer. Brandts used yesterday’s game to improve fitness of his squad and to give the players more experience, as they prepare to defend their league title next season.
The Dutch tactician, who guided Yanga to the top flight title last season, is expecting his side to play three more strength-testing matches before the league kick-off on August 24. Yanga played three friendly games during a trophy exhibition tour of the Lake Zone, including a double-header with KCC of Uganda, in which Brandts’ side managed a 1-1 draw in their first match before conceding a 2-1 defeat in the second game.
Source Tanzania Daily News
