Balama: Yanga SC lose another key player for rest of the season

Young Africans (Yanga SC) have suffered another injury blow after it emerged Mapinduzi Balama will miss action for the rest of the season.

The influential midfielder picked up an injury while preparing for their Mainland Premier League match against Ndanda FC and the doctors have now confirmed he will not be able to kick a ball again this season.

Yanga doctor Shecky Mngazija has revealed the injury suffered by Balama will need more time to recover and hence he will not be able to play again this season.

“Balama broke his foot and it will need more than 14 days for it to get back to normal and for that reason, he will have to stay away for some time now,” Mngazija is quoted by Sokaletu.

“I feel he will be out for the next six or eight weeks and it means he will not play any part in the remaining league matches and also the FA Cup contest against Simba SC.”

Balama becomes the second player to be ruled out of the Simba clash after Yanga coach Luc Eymael confirmed to Goal defender Haruna Niyonzima will not feature in the derby after he sustained an injury in their league match against Biashara United.

“I lost Haruna [Niyonzima], one of my best players to injury, after only ten minutes into the game and it was due to a bad tackle and his knee twisted and so he will be out of Simba, and there was no reaction from the referee only a free-kick was given,” Eymael told Goal on Monday.

“It is a huge blow to my team because Haruna is one of my best players, one of my favourites, a hard worker a player who fights for the team, so he will not be available to play in the derby.

"It is sad news for him, he was looking forward to the match but now he will miss it altogether.”

The two injuries will affect Yanga’s quest to win the FA Cup where they are scheduled to take on Simba in the semi-finals on July 12.

Yanga are also keen to finish second on the 20-team table but were toppled from the spot on Sunday after Azam FC won 7-0 against Singida United.