Yanga breathe at Simba’s neck

DEFENDING champions Young Africans moved within two points of the Premier League leaders Simba after beating Ruvu Shooting 2-1 in a pulsating contest yesterday.

Abdulrahman Mussa stunned the holders when he scored after seven minutes to put Ruvu Shooting ahead, but Simon Msuva drew the parity eight minutes before the break.

A stunning strike from Haruna Niyonzima wrapped the victory for the holders and ensured Yanga finish the first round on 33 points from 15 outings.

Shooting had a couple of chances to earn anything from the game, however, Yanga held on for maximum points. The result leaves Ruvu Shooting in seventh spot, while Young Africans head into the mid term break in second behind Simba, who suffered a 2-1 defeat against Prisons on Wednesday.

Fullzulu Maganga wasted the first really chance of the game after four minutes with a misdirected effort from inside the 18-yard box. Yanga, desperate to close the gap with rivals Simba at the top, poured forward in numbers in the opening minutes but found themselves a goal down when Mussa produced a clinical finish after a fine team move. The reigning champions responded by raising the temp of their play and attempted a few efforts, but to no avail.

Niyonzima fired an ambitious shot off target after 13 minutes and Obrey Chirwa drew a fine save from Ruvu Shooting keeper Abdallah Rashid moments later. Shooting were happy to sit back after taking the lead, which allowed Yanga to enjoy the lion’s share of possession. Yanga’s sweeping attack almost cancelled Shooting’s lead in the 21st minute, but Msuva, at the end of the move, fired an effort off target. Yanga went close in the 27th minute.

Niyonzima, who was orchestrating most of Yanga attacks, whipped in a dangerous cross into the box from the right flank but again Msuva’s thumping could not hit the target. A few minutes later Jabir Aziz came to Ruvu Shooting rescue when he made a timely intervention to cut out a dangerous ball into the box by Niyonzima.

Yanga’s persistence paid off after 37 minutes with Msuva squeezing the ball past goalkeeper following another fine work by Niyonzima down the right flank.

The two teams headed for the breather tied in a 1-all draw. Yanga head coach Hans Van der Pluijm, probably taking charge of his last game for the club due to impending arrival of Zambian tactician George Lwandamina, was sent to the standing after exchanging words with a match official.

That did not stop Yanga from taking the game to the scruff when the second half got underway and Amissi Tambwe narrowly missed out on Hassan Kessy’s cross from the right wing. Niyonzima capped his industrious performance with a stunning goal, firing a blockbuster from outside the box following Donald Ngoma lay-off in the 56th minute.

Tambwe thought he had notched the third after 68 minutes only to find out that the offside flag was up but replays suggested that he was onside when Kessy hit the cross.

The victors could have put the game beyond Shooting on a couple of occasions, but the army wardens defence was on hand to prevent their opponents from moving further ahead.

As the clock ticked towards 90, Shooting fashioned out more telling attacks and in one occasion hit the crossbar, but Yanga held on to claim all three points and put pressure on title rivals Simba as the league go for mid-break.