Matola blames Simba SC defeat to Azam FC on lapse of concentration

Simba SC stand-in coach Suleiman Matola blamed lack of concentration for the team’s first defeat of the Tanzanian Mainland Premier League campaign against rivals Azam FC at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Sunday.

The Msimbazi Reds’ perfect start to the campaign was brought to an end after losing 2-0 in the Mzizima derby against the Ice Cream Makers.

Goals in the final fifteen minutes from Jephte Kitambala and Iddy Nado confirmed Azam’s first victory over their Dar es Salaam rivals in over three years. Simba had gone into the fixture with a clean record of four straight wins from their opening fixtures.

However, DR Congo international forward Kitambala arrived for a clean finish from a cross by substitute Hassor Saadun to give the Ice Cream Makers a massive boost. Seven minutes later, with the hosts desperately pushing to find a leveler, it was Saadun again who got behind on the left wing for another cross.

This time it was Nado who was waiting at the far post to fire in a perfect finish.

Simba suffered because of own mistakes

“We had a very good game, in the first half we had a very fantastic game, we dominated, we managed to create a lot of chances, but our main issue of not converting chances into goals came back to haunt us again,” Matola told Pan-Africa Football.

“It was the same thing in the second half, we created chances but again we couldn’t score. In the last 10 minutes of the game, we lost concentration, and allowed Azam to score, that is football, it was not our day, and we now focus on the next game.”

Discussing the first half where Simba looked the most dominant side, Matola said: “We were compact until the last 10 minutes when we lost concentration, and gave them a chance to score, that is football, if you make a mistake, it will come back to haunt you, that is what happened, we have lost, and will shift focus to the next game.”

The defeat left Simba fifth on the Premier League table with 12 points accumulated four wins, zero draws and one defeat. Meanwhile, the win pushed Azam to ninth with nine points from five matches.

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