Following a disappointing beginning to the 2023-24 season that saw them lose out to rivals Simba SC in the Community Shield, defending Tanzania Mainland Premier League champions Young Africans returned to winning ways on Wednesday. Yanga crushed Kinondoni MC by a 5-0 score to open up their league campaign with a positive result. On Tuesday another club aspiring to compete at the top of Tanzanian football fell to a disappointing result with Singida Fountain Gate forced to settle for a 0-0 draw at home against Prisons FC.
A quickly taken short corner kick led to the opening goal for Yanga in the 17th minute, resulting in a goal mouth scramble where Dickson Job reacted quickest to turn in. KMC remained in the match for a long period until close to the hour mark when a low shot from Stephane Aziz Ki snuck through a crowd of players and past the KMC goalkeeper.
The goals began to flood in after the seventy minute mark beginning with Hafiz Konkoni’s first goal for Yanga after the Ghanaian’s shot was judged to go just over the goal line before the goalkeeper made a play on the ball. Mudathir Yahya and former ASEC Mimosas star Pacôme Zouzoua completed the scoring for a dominant victory.
It was much more difficult for Singida Fountain Gate against Prisons FC at the Liti Stadium. The hosts encountered a well organized Prisons defense and the visitors were only denied by the flag of the linesman when they put the ball in the Singida net close to halftime. There were moments where the visitors should have taken the lead but hosts Singida managed to escape.
The most frightening moment for Singida came in the 68th minute when goalkeeper Benedict Haule slipped and was forced into an awkward clearance with his head outside the penalty area. However in the end neither team could find the important goal and settled for a sharing of the spoils.
Highlights of Yanga’s victory and the draw between Singida and Prisons are below following the scores.
Scores
Mashujaa 0-0 Geita Gold
Singida Fountain Gate 0-0 Prisons FC
Young Africans 5-0 Kinondoni MC
Highlights
Young Africans 5-0 Kinondoni MC
Singida Fountain Gate 0-0 Prisons FC