Ligi Kuu Bara: Matano blames Singida keeper John Noble for Yanga SC defeat
- Dennis Kegengo
- 15 hours ago
- 2 min read
Photo Credit - SIngida Big Stars (Fountain Gate).
Singida Big Stars head coach Robert Matano openly blamed goalkeeper John Noble for the team’s 4-0 Mainland Premier League defeat against Young Africans (Yanga SC) at Kwaraa Stadium on Easter Monday.
The Citizens took advantage of two mistakes from Noble to take a deserved 2-0 lead at the half-time break. The opener was scored by Clement Mzize in the 39th minute after a mistake by Noble before Stephane Aziz Ki pounced on another mistake by the keeper to make it 2-0 in the 43rd minute.
Yanga continued to remain dangerous in the second half and they grabbed the third when Mzize hit the back of the net in the 70th minute before Zambia international Clatous Chama rounded off the emphatic win with a goal from a well-curled free-kick in the 89th minute.
“The first half, we gave the game away, the goalkeeper gave us away completely, you can’t commit such mistakes and think that your team will come back into the game, especially when playing against a team like Yanga,” Matano told Pan-Africa Football.
“It was very difficult for us to come back, conceding such goals, not only against Yanga but any other team in the league, it will become difficult for you to come back into the game.”
Matano continued: “He is the keeper we have been depending on, he is the one, who has been guarding the goal for us, but today, he let us down, he has let us down, he can’t commit such mistakes, and he is a keeper of high regards.
“I thought like I was dreaming, I still can’t believe what he did, he let us lose the game, there is no team that can make a comeback after such mistakes.”
“We will continue to fight to win in remaining matches, but if we will fight and another player comes out to give out goals to opponents, then it will be difficult for us to reach our targets for the season, we have lost against Yanga because of the keepers' mistakes, we gave the game away in the first half.”
The defeat left Singida Big Stars 12th on the 16-team league table with 29 points from 27 matches while Yanga cemented their lead with 70 points from 26 outings.