YOUNG Africans produced a spirited performance to stamp a 1-0 victory against Ihefu in the 20th round Premier League match at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Monday.
It was a sweet, but hard-earned revenge for Yanga after being destroyed 2-1 in their first-round match at Highland Estate Stadium in Mbarali last year.
The win also heightened Fiston Mayele, who netted the winner halfway in the second half, as the team’s lethal marksman and the league’s leading scorer.
Mayele made a breakthrough in the 63rd minute after using well a poor clearance from Ihefu goalkeeper Fikirini Bakari to net his 15th goal of the campaign.
With the outcome, Yanga have opened a 9-point lead at the top of the table with 53 points from 20 games as they continue to outrace their rivals towards the season’s championship.
Newly signed midfielder Mudathir Yahya made his first league appearance in Yanga colours as he partnered well with his former Azam teammate Salum Abubakar ‘Sure Boy’ to dictate terms in the middle of the terrain.
The opening 45 minutes were cagy as each side played with caution not to concede first, a format which worked well for both sides and that was a credit to the visitors.
Zuberi Katwila’s men executed well defensive responsibilities by diffusing any threat from the hosts as they relied much on counter-attacks with Obrey Chirwa parading as a solo striker.
Chirwa had the best chance in the 17th minute but his diving header went over the goal to the relief of the defending champions.
However, as the two teams headed for a breather, the scoreboard remained barren which without a doubt was a good thing for Ihefu.
The stadium exploded into cheers in the 62nd minute when the newly-signed Yanga striker Kennedy Musonda was introduced into the game replacing Farid Mussa.
His impact was immediately felt as he played a role in the build-up before the goal was sourced.
For Ihefu, the results were hard to digest for them as they dropped essential points from a side they comfortably outsmarted when they met in the first round of the season.
They continue to remain in the 13th slot at the table with 20 points from 20 games and they consequently failed to register a second successive league victory.
