Tanzania: Ilala Fight Back to Down Manyara

The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)

Kalunde Jamal

20 June 2011

In-form Ilala came from behind to edge out hard-fighting Manyara 2-1 in a thrilling Copa Coca-Cola Under-17 Championship match yesterday.Ilala scored two goals in the last nine minutes of the Group B match at Karume Memorial Stadium to wrap up their place in the last 16 of the annual tournament.

It was Manyara who made a bright start to the match and seemed to be destined for a win when they went one up in the 48th minute through Hashim Hamisi, whose volley gave Ilala goalie no chance.However, hopes of a victory for Manyara evaporated on the hour mark as the Ilala boys strove to get back into the game with some flamboyant passing game.

Their efforts eventually paid off in the 81st minute when Ilala striker Alfred Gerald restored parity off some brilliant work by Abdallah Haji.Two minutes to time, Haji shot Ilala fans into wild cheers when he scored the second goal for the team through a penalty.The defeat meant the Manyara team’s hopes of mustering at least a point went up in a thin smoke.

In Group C, Tanga and Coast fought to a barren draw, thus seeing the latter kiss goodbye to their hopes of qualifying for the next stage.Kigoma are the other side that has advanced having tied with Tanga on 10 points. Both have a game at hand.The day also saw Dodoma and Kilimanjaro draw 1-1, the match was a mere formality for the central region team.

Kilimanjaro drew the first blood in the 62nd minute through Humudi Salum, but Innocent Nikolas levelled the matter with only 20 seconds to go.The Northern zone lads and Kinondoni have already booked their place in the last 16, the latter topping the group with 12 points, two adrift of the former.At Nyumbu grounds, Arusha and Morogoro shared the spoils after drawing 1-1, thus giving the latter and Mjini Magharibi a chance to romp into the next stage.

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