The Kobs Dump Out Under 23

Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam)

30 April 2011

THE national U-23 soccer team, Vijana Stars, kissed the All Africa Games qualifiers goodbye after losing 3-1 to Uganda, Kobs, in the return leg match played at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Saturday.

The Kobs have therefore progressed to the next stage by 5-2 goals aggregate victory, after securing 2-1 win in the first leg match played at Namboole (Mandela) Stadium in Kampala a fortnight ago.

Vijana Stars needed a 1-0 win to knock their opponents out of the qualifiers but the failure to fully utilize home ground advantage eventually foiled their attempt to command yet another successful spell at the international level.

The hosts were below par throughout the Saturday match and their miseries were compounded by a string of careless mistakes committed by keeper Shaaban Kado.

Uganda scored their first goal after 17 minutes through Saddam Ibrahim and again found Vijana Stars’ back of the net after 34 minutes later through Hamisi Kiza.

Kado came to Vijana Stars’ rescue four minutes later, when he denied the visitors a third goal with a timely save to parry away a spot kick taken by Emmanuel Okwi, who also turns out for Mainland Premier League side Simba.

Striker Mbwana Samata slightly revived Vijana Stars’ hopes when his attempted cross went straight at Kobs’ back of the net after 75 minutes to register the first goal for the hosts.

Samata’s effort uplifted Vijana Stars’ spirit and they surged forward in search of the second only to see Kobs’ Kiza score the third for his side, connecting home a cross from Owen Kasule.

Vijana Stars’ hopes of landing their first ever stint in the All Africa Games finals, for that matter, went up in smokes to remain with plenty of time for soul-searching.

Vijana Stars’ head coach, Jamhuri Kihwelo ‘Julio’, admitted the Kobs were destined for victory courtesy of their solid displays.

“I have been so much discouraged by my players’ below par performance I do not know what has gone wrong.

Kado was completely out of sorts today,” said Kihwelo. He said he was focusing on preparing his players for the second round of the 2012 Olympic qualifiers in which Vijana Stars will play Nigeria.

“We are now shaping up for the Nigeria clash because I believe it will be extremely tough,” he said.

Tanzania’s national women team, Twiga Stars, in contrast, has qualified for the All Africa Games’ finals scheduled for September in Maputo, Mozambique after their opponents, Uganda, Kenya and Sudan, pulled out of the qualifiers.

AllAfrica – All the Time