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Kaze: What helped Yanga SC to recover and beat stubborn Dodoma Jiji
The Burundian tactician reveals how his players managed to turn the match around and snatch the vital win in Arusha
Young Africans (Yanga SC) coach Cedric Kaze has explained how they recovered to beat Dodoma Jiji in a Mainland Premier League match played on Saturday.
The Jangwani giants went into the match as the favourites but it was the promoted side who took a shock lead in the third minute through Seif Karihe.
Yanga then recovered to score goals courtesy of defender Lamine Moro, substitute Saidi Ntibazonkiza and Bakari Mwamnyeto, to bag maximum points from the hotly contested fixture played at Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium in Arusha.
The Burundian has now explained his players never gave up despite going down in the opening minutes and that the use of dead balls helped them to secure the win.
“We knew that we were facing a team which prefers to defend a lot as they usually let many players behind the ball,” Kaze said as quoted by Daily News.
“Playing on this type of the pitch, we knew that the game would be judged via dead balls and we had to train hard on that area.
“We watched a couple of their league matches they played to study them on how they play. Unfortunately, we accepted an early goal which made us play under pressure since we registered more incomplete passes.
“The good thing was that my players did not lose hope and we managed to get back into the game by scoring vital goals.”
Kaze also lauded skipper Moro for turning up at the crucial moment with the opening goal, which set his team up for the vital win.
Meanwhile, Dodoma Jiji coach Mbwana Makata blamed a lack of concentration for the team’s defeat after taking what he called a deserved lead.
“The two set pieces they had near to our goal were wisely used by them hence sourcing the two winning goals. For now, we have to look to our next fixtures and make sure that we get back swiftly into the game," he was quoted as saying by the same publication.
The win helped the Timu ya Mwananchi to stretch their unbeaten run to 16 matches and they will remain at the top of the 18-team table with a gap of eight points since second-placed Simba SC, who are away in Zimbabwe for Caf Champions League duty, have 32 points and third-placed Azam FC 29.
