Michael Aidan’s own goal gave Yanga a precious lead and Msuva scored a goal in each half in a match that once again, Rwanda international midfielder, Niyonzima displayed a master class eye-catching football to steer Yanga to top of the table for the first time this season.
Yanga leapfrogged Simba to the top spot on 36 points, a point ahead of their archrivals, who take on Ndanda FC today at the Nangwanda Sijaona Stadium in Mtwara.
New Yanga coach, Zambian Lwandamina¸ who replaced Hans Van der Pluijm after 15-first round matches, was keen to get his career in the Tanzania top flight league to the best possible start by securing maximum points against JKT Ruvu and he did just that.
Under pressure from Deus Kaseke, the JKT Ruvu skipper involuntarily put the ball into the back of his own net in an effort to clear Msuva’s deep cross into the box in the 38th minute for Yanga’s opener. Credit for the goal must go to midfield maestro, who dominated the pack of the midfield with his classic footwork. Niyonzima drove past several players before releasing a well calculated pass to Msuva down the right side.
Yanga ought to have scored more goals in the first 45 opening minutes, but Msuva, Amis Tambwe and Donaldo Ngoma squandered several scoring chances. Despite managing to hold Yanga in most part of the first half, which they also created several clear cut opportunities and missed, JKT Ruvu also under a new coach Bakari Shime alias the ‘Black Wizard’ struggled to contain their opponents’ pressure in the second half. In the second stanza, Yanga were all over and unstoppable.
It was only a matter of time for them to add more goals as they kept possession and pressed hard. Msuva rectified his early mistake and managed to put his name in the score sheet with a superb goal, connecting home Kaseke’s cross into the box.
Unmarked, three metres out, Msuva dived low to double the lead in the 57th minute. As it was in the first goal, Niyonzima was an architect, crucially involved in building the move from midfield just a minute after Lwandamina made his first substitute by introducing Said Makupa for Tambwe.
Shime brought in Mussa Juma for Ally Bilala in the 65th minute and later Saad Kipanga came in for Atupele Green, while Yanga called in Geoffrey Mwaishuya for Thabani Kamusoko.
The changes benefited Lwandamina’s side, as Msuva put icing on a cake with a neat close range goal few minutes before the final whistle again finishing off from Niyonzima’s spade work. Later in the dying minutes, Yanga brought in Obrey Chirwa for Ngoma, the Zambian striker did not have a chance to touch the ball before the final whistle.
Other league games saw Mwadui FC recording a 1-0 victory over Toto Africans at their Mwadui Complex in Shinyanga. The victory saw Mwadui bagging 15 points and leapfrogged JKT Ruvu who now drop second bottom with 13 points.
At the Sokoine Stadium in Mbeya, Kagera Sugar forced a barren draw against their hosts Mbeya City, while Ruvu Shooting were held to a 1-1 draw by visiting Mtibwa Sugar at the Mabatini grounds, in Coast Region.
The league continues today with Simba taking on Ndanda FC with the Msimbazi Reds needing nothing but a win to ensure they return at the top of the league. Other matches will be between Mbao FC against Stand United at the CCM-Kirumba Stadium in Mwanza, Tanzania Prisons will host Majimaji FC in Mbeya at the Sokoine Stadium and African Lyon will host Azam FC at the Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
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