Azam coach nudges players after defeat

DAR ES SALAAM: AFTER succumbing to a 3-1 defeat from Namungo, Azam FC Coach, Bruno Ferry has nudged his players to keep their heads high as the league is still on and long.

The tense clash at Azam Complex on Friday night witnessed the hosts struggling to make ends meet against the aggressive Namungo who netted twice in the first half through Pius Buswita and Hasheem Manyanya.

In the second half, Reliant Lusajo made it 3-0 in the 50th minute before Ayoub Lyanga banked Azam’s consolation goal in the 70th minute. Despite his effort to rejuvenate his side for a comeback, they failed.

Following the results, Azam is fixed on third place with 13 points from seven matches while Namungo locomoted from the bottom of the table to 12th place with six points in the bag from seven fixtures.

The Chamazi-based side suffered the second upset in the unfolding league campaign after a 2-3 defeat against Young Africans, dropping six points in two games in a row.

“I congratulate my players. They played very well today. They are a good team and they have shown it. It was important for us to have a good reaction after the Yanga game but that was not the case. We missed a lot of things that could have helped us win the match.

“It is a lesson for us. We will continue to learn and of course, we do not like these results but we have to make good reactions in our upcoming games because we cannot continue to be like this,” he said.

On the other hand, Namungo celebrated their first triumph this season after a six-game winless run.

Namungo’s Caretaker Coach, Denis Kitambi gave credit to his players for securing their first conquest of the season. He noted that they relied on counter-attacks to punish their opponents.

“We were in a bad position, as such we told the players that they have to fight for success; that is why you did not see a tactical match but rather an aggressive Namungo,” Kitambi said.