Tanzania: Win Delights AZAM Coach

AZAM FC coach, Boris Bunjak, has expressed delight in putting pressure on the Mainland Premier League’s defending champions, Simba, after the former commanded a 3-0 drubbing of JKT Ruvu at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Friday.

Azam temporarily took hold of the top position in the league following the win as the team collected 10 points from four matches but Simba had the chance to reclaim the driver’s seat yesterday as they hosted Mbeya’s Tanzania Prisons at the same venue.

Bunjak said shortly after the Friday game that he has been impressed by solid displays that his team has so far showcased in all games it has played and was optimistic it will maintain the form in forthcoming matches.

“My team controlled the game, created chances and scored but we also missed so many chances…we have been putting strong performances and hopefully we will maintain the form”, he said. Strikers, John Bocco and his Ivorian partner, Kipre Tchetche, and the latter’s twin brother, Kipre Bolou, scored the three goals that downed Coast Region’s Ruvu, which has, therefore, suffered three consecutive defeats in as many matches played at the National Stadium.

Azam had an edge over Ruvu for the better part and launched many attacks as compared to their opponents only to be let down by poor finishing. Ruvu had fewer chances to push forward thanks to tight marking by Azam defenders but the few attacks were, nevertheless, quite dangerous as they forced Azam keeper, Deogratius Munishi, to come out of his comfort zone and clear the danger.

In one of Azam’s rare defensive lapses, defenders, Said Morad and Samih Nuhu, bumped on each other as they attempted to clear a high ball inside their team’s penalty area but Morad quickly reacted and cleared the loose ball. Ruvu’s coach, Charles Kilinda, once again, blamed his side for committing costly defensive mistakes and said the weakness was the reason behind the team’s defeat on the match.

“We played well today but we made costly errors and when you make errors you are punished. With exception to one goal, the rest were all because of defensive mistakes”, said Kilinda. He mentioned that he was, however, relieved to have already played tough matches against big guns and was looking forward to performing well in what he hoped will be less competitive games.

Meanwhile, the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) has announced entrance fee for the Wednesday’s derby pitting big guns Simba and Yanga at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

The lowest fee will be 5,000/- for the green seats, while blue seats will cost 7,000/-. The orange seats will cost 10,000/- while fans wishing to witness the match from VIP C and B will have to part with 15,000/- and 20,000/- respectively, while VIP A seats will cot 30,000/-.