Harambee midfielder features as Yanga bounce from cup defeat to Azam in style
Reading Time: 2min | Wed. 24.06.26. | 19:01
Still in Tanzania, four more Kenyans were in action for Pamba Jiji while Mohammed Bajaber was missing
Harambee Stars midfielder, Duke Abuya, played a key role as Young Africans SC secured a commanding 3-0 victory over Azam FC in a rescheduled Tanzania Premier League fixture played at Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar on Wednesday 24, June.
Abuya was handed a place in the starting lineup as the defending champions took another significant step towards retaining their league crown.
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The match carried huge implications in the title race as it came just days after Azam bundled out Yanga from the cup competition.
Despite the eventual scoreline, the contest was far from straightforward in the opening stages.
Azam FC produced a disciplined defensive display and frustrated Yanga for large spells of the first half, denying the league leaders clear scoring opportunities.
However, just as it seemed the teams would head into the break deadlocked, Yanga found the breakthrough deep into first-half stoppage time.
Ibrahim 'Bacca' Abdulla Hamad rose to the occasion, firing home in the 41st minute to hand his side a slender 1-0 lead at halftime.
Azam emerged from the interval with renewed determination and continued to make life difficult for the hosts.
For much of the second half, the visitors held firm and looked capable of forcing their way back into the contest.
Their resistance was eventually broken in the 73rd minute when Yanga were awarded a penalty after Laurindo Dilson Maria Aurélio, popularly known as Depu, was brought down inside the area.
The Angolan forward dusted himself off before calmly converting from the spot to double Yanga's advantage.
With Azam forced to push forward in search of a response, Yanga capitalised on the additional spaces.
Ivorian attacker Pacôme Zouzoua put the result beyond doubt in the 81st minute, capping off a dominant display and sealing a convincing 3-0 victory.
The win moved Yanga closer to a record-extending 32nd Tanzania Premier League title.
The reigning champions climbed to 69 points, maintaining their two-point cushion over arch-rivals Simba SC with only two matches remaining in the season.
Elsewhere, Simba SC cruised to 3-0 victory over Mtibwa Sugar, although Harambee Stars forward Mohamed Bajaber was not involved in the encounter.
Meanwhile, Pamba Jiji FC, coached by Kenyan tactician Francis Baraza and featuring Kenyan trio Shaphan Oyugi, Mathew Tegisi and Brian Eshianda, suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat away to Mbeya City, dealing a blow to their campaign.