Spoils shared in Mwanza thriller

MWANZA: AZAM FC staged a defiant second-half recovery to claw back a two-goal deficit against Pamba Jiji, securing a 2–2 draw in a pulsating Mainland Premier League encounter at CCM Kirumba Stadium in Mwanza on Monday.

The result leaves the top four race precariously balanced.

Pamba Jiji maintains fourth place with 24 points behind Young Africans, JKT Tanzania and Simba SC, from 15 matches. They are looking over their shoulders at a fifth-placed Azam (23 points) who hold four games in hand and appear to be the side with the greater upward momentum.

The hosts appeared to have the contest firmly in their grasp after a clinical opening. Just as the fourth official prepared the board for halftime, Hassan Kibailo’s whipped free-kick induced panic in the Azam ranks.

Peter Lwasa’s contested header forced Himid Mkami into a catastrophic error, as the defender inadvertently steered the ball past his own goalkeeper gifting Pamba Jiji a 1–0 lead as the first half drew to a close. Pamba Jiji emerged from the tunnel with blood in the water.

Within three minutes of the restart, they doubled their lead through a textbook counter-attack. From a patient buildup at the back, a raking long ball found Lwasa, who turned provider to square for John Ben. Ben made no mistake, coolly sidefooting past Aishi Manula to send the home crowd into raptures.

Trailing 2–0 and facing an early flight back to Dar es Salaam with nothing to show for it, Azam finally found their rhythm. The comeback was ignited in the 55th minute when Iddi Selemani’s delivery found Jephete Kitambala. While Pamba Jiji keeper Yona Amosi produced a heroic double save to deny the initial header, he was powerless to stop Jean Ngita, who pounced on the rebound to halve the deficit.

ALSO READ: Tabora calls for more boxing clinics to develop regional talent

The pendulum swung violently in Azam’s favor just 120 seconds later. Kitambala, a constant aerial menace, nodded the ball into the path of the marauding Ngita. As the striker prepared to pull the trigger, he was brought down inside the area by Abdulmajid Mangalo and the referee pointed to the spot.

Feisal Salum, commonly known as ‘Fei Toto,’ stepped up to the spot and dispatched the penalty with ice-cold composure, completing a remarkable seven-minute turnaround. The drama, however, was far from over. No sooner had Salum levelled the scores than he was headed for an early shower.

A moment of madness saw the playmaker receive a straight red card for a reckless high boot on Lwasa, leaving the visitors to navigate the final stages with ten men. Despite the numerical disadvantage and the relentless heat of Mwanza, Azam’s backline held firm.

Pamba Jiji will rue their inability to kill the game at 2–0, while Azam will view this as a point gained in their pursuit of the league’s upper echelons.