Tanzania: Ilala Eliminate Holders Singida

Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam)

22 May 2011

Arusha — TAIFA Cup 2011 defending champions, Singida ‘Kindai Shooting Stars’, crashed out of the quarterfinals of the tournament after conceding 3-0 defeat to Ilala in the last eight’s first match played at the Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium here on Sunday.

Both sides attacked each other in turns during the early exchanges of the first half but Singida players were wasteful in front of their opponents’ goal.

The team had a couple of scoring opportunities, which could have seen them in control, but the forwards lacked confidence whenever they reached Ilala’s penalty area.

Ilala players’ constant pressure on Kindai Shooting Stars’ goal finally paid off on 12 minutes when Salum Mpakala notched the first goal for the former as his powerful shot deflected off Kindai Shooting Stars’ defender, Charles Msuka, and sailed into the net.

The former champions were 2-0 up five minutes before the half time as Vedastus Kaunda scored the second, in which he collected a pass from Said Ahmed and found Kindai Shooting Stars’ back of the net as his blockbuster that deflected off the team’s defenders, who were vainly attempting to clear the ball.

Ilala’s Yahya Ramadhan and Kindai Shooting Stars’ Paschal Maige were shown yellow cards for foul play during the first half as tough tackles came into view. Ilala keeper, Abdul Juma, also picked the yellow card for diving for the ball outside the penalty area. Ilala had an upper hand on resumption and the team’s striker, Omary Matuta, put the game beyond Kindai Shooting Stars when he rammed in the third goal after 59 minutes.

Matuta, who is slowly rediscovering his goal scoring virtuosity, rounded Kindai Shooting Stars’ keeper, Noel Lucas, and fired into the net to ensure Ilala confidently march into the semi-finals.

Both sides did a series of substitutions in the second half in an effort to revitalize their performances, in which Kindai Shooting Stars rested George Martin, Hamis Kisuke and Paul Mohana and introduced Peter Msaga, Dotto Mahecha and Shafii Daud respectively. Ilala brought in Benedict Ngasa for Mpakala.

Kindai Shooting Stars, for that matter, surrendered the trophy they won last year and their only consolation in the game came in the form of the man of the match award that went to their player, Maige, who received 100, 000/- from the tournament’s sponsors, Tanzania Breweries Limited (TBL), for his impressive performances on the pitch.

Hosts, Arusha ‘Mount Meru Warriors’, were playing Mwanza ‘Mwanza Heroes’ in the second quarterfinal match at the same venue later in the evening. Hosts, Arusha ‘Mount Meru Warriors’, also bowed out of the quarterfinals after losing 2-1 to Mwanza ‘Mwanza Heroes’ in the second match played at the same venue later in the evening.

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