Mbeya Clinch Taifa Cup Final Spot

Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam)

25 May 2011

MBEYA regional soccer team yesterday claimed a hard-fought 2-1 win over Kagera at the Sheikh Amri Abeid Memorial Stadium in Arusha to clinch their place in this year’s Kili Taifa Cup final.

Mbeya will now take on Mwanza in the final match on Saturday.

Mwanza had beaten two-time champions Ilala 2-1 the previous day to qualify for the final match of the coveted championship.

The game had been expected to be sew-saw affairs going by the standard demonstrated by both sides en-route to semis and truly it lived up to its billing as the rivalry between players of the two teams was relieved from the first blast of the referee’s whistle to the last.

Mbeya came into the match boasting massive experience thanks to the presence in their squad of in-form Mwaikimba, Ivo Mapunda, Said Mtupa, Henry Mwalugala and Juma Mpola.

Meanwhile, Kagera’s Lweru Eagles were just as confident thanks to their energetic youthful side.

Both teams attacked each other in turns during the opening exchanges but it was Mbeya, who drew the first blood when their in-form striker Gaudence Mwaikimba who features for Kagera-based outfit, Kagera Sugar, broke the deadlock after 24 minutes.

Kagera Sugar goalkeeper Msafiri Davo bundled down goal bound Said Mtupa, prompting the match official to award Mbeya the penalty and Mwaikimba did no mistake as he expertly buried it into the net to put his team in front.

The goal brought out the best in the Lweru Eagles as they piled up pressure on their opponents goal, but the much needed equalizer did not come as quickly as their supports wanted.

However, another Kagera Sugar player Themi Felix found the equalizer after the hour mark, taking advantage of a goal-month scramble. It finished 1-all after regular time, which forced the match into extra time.

Mbeya kicked off the first fifteen minutes of the extra time and it took them barely three minutes to score the winner after Kagera defender Charles Luhende ended up deflecting the ball into his own net as he attempted to clear the danger.

Kagera’s consolation goal came in the form of the man of the match award that went to their man, George Richard, who received 100,000/- from the tournament’s sponsors, Tanzania Breweries Limited (TBL), for his great performance on the day.

AllAfrica – All the Time