Azam, Mbeya City topple Yanga

Dar es Salaam. Defending champions Young Africans have dropped to third place in the Mainland Premier League table following victories by Azam FC and Mbeya City in their respective matches yesterday.

High-flying Azam had little mercy on struggling Ruvu Shooting as they thrashed them 3-0 at Chamazi Complex to bounce back to the top of the 14-team top flight.

Mbeya City, who are making their first appearance in the elite league, squeezed a 1-0 win against relegation-haunted Ashanti United at Sokoine Memorial Stadium in Mbeya to sit third in the league standing.

Azam and Mbeya City tie on 26 points but the ice-cream makers are ahead on goals difference.

Yanga, who stayed at the pilot’s seat for 24 hours after their 4-0 win over JKT Ruvu on Friday, are sitting third with 25 points, two ahead of early league leaders Simba.

At Azam Complex, the hosts, gunning for their first Premier League title, enjoyed the lion’s share of the match. It took them only seconds to open the scoring through their Ivorian striker Kipre Tchetche, who capitalized on a defensive mix-up to beat goalkeeper Joseph Kimwaga with a low but tricky shot.

Looking unperturbed, Ruvu Shooting briefly put the hosts at bay and missed what could have been an equalizer three minutes when striker Elius Maguri beat two defenders, only to see his effort narrowly miss target.

Another chance for the army outfit to equalise came in the eighth minute when Saidi Dilunga’s close-range shot went a few centimetres wide.

Two minutes later, Azam goalie Mwadin Ali Mwadini was forced to dive full length to clear a goal-bound shot by Saidi Dilunga for an abortive corner.

As expected, Azam regained their rhythm later and ought to have doubled their lead in the 32nd minute when Mcha Khamis, with the net at his mercy, shot wide.

They finally went two up in the 45th minute through Joseph Kimwaga off Waziri Salum pass before Mcha Khamis hit a final; pin on the army team’s coffin in the 70th minute.