Ibenge admits Pamba Jiji were better than Azam FC in draw

Azam FC head coach Florent Ibenge admitted his side was not good enough despite pulling a comeback to draw 2-2 against Pamba Jiji in a Mainland Premier League fixture on Monday.

After conceding two goals on both sides of halftime, the Ice Cream Makers returned the favour close to the hour mark when Jean Jacques Ngita finished from a rebound in the 56th minute.

 

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Star midfielder Feisal Salum converted a penalty kick to level the match two minutes later before being sent off shortly afterwards.

Azam were not good enough

“Not bad I will say, not bad because we started very badly this game, and you see the pitch was very bad, and they were better than us, because they mastered the pitch more than us,” Ibenge told Pan-Africa Football.

“We were not good enough because we conceded the first goal, and at half-time we decided to come back and play direct football. It was better but unfortunately, we conceded the second goal in the beginning of the game with only one mistake.

“It was better because we managed to score twice, we managed to comeback to draw, and when we wanted to go forward and get the winner, we got a red card, and it now became difficult to win the game.”

Azam remained fifth on Premier League log

On whether Azam will miss Feisal Salum, who was sent off in the game, the DR Congo tactician responded: “We have to manage, we have 30 players in our group, so, if he is not there, another one is going to play.”

Azam are five points back of leaders Young Africans, who played to a 0-0 draw against rivals Simba SC in the Kariakoo Derby.

Azam FC coach Florent Ibenge admits his side were not good enough in draw against Pamba Jiji

Azam FC head coach Florent Ibenge admitted his side were not good enough despite fighting back to secure a 2-2 draw against Pamba Jiji in a Mainland Premier League fixture on Monday.

After conceding once in each half, the Ice Cream Makers responded strongly around the hour mark. Jean Jacques Ngita pulled one back in the 56th minute, finishing from a rebound to spark hopes of a comeback.

Just two minutes later, star midfielder Feisal Salum converted from the penalty spot to level the match for Azam FC. However, Salum’s evening took a dramatic turn when he was shown a red card shortly after equalizing, making it difficult for the visitors to push for a winning goal.

‘We were not good enough’ – Ibenge

Speaking after the match, Ibenge admitted his team struggled, particularly with the pitch conditions.

“Not bad, I will say, not bad because we started very badly in this game. You see the pitch was very bad, and they were better than us because they mastered the pitch more than us,” Ibenge told Pan-Africa Football.

“We were not good enough because we conceded the first goal. At half-time, we decided to come back and play direct football. It was better, but unfortunately we conceded the second goal at the beginning of the half with only one mistake.

“It was better because we managed to score twice and come back to draw. But when we wanted to go forward and get the winner, we got a red card, and it became difficult to win the game.”

Azam FC remain fifth in the standings

Despite the comeback, Azam FC remain fifth in the Mainland Premier League standings. They are five points behind leaders Young Africans, who played out a goalless 0-0 draw with rivals Simba SC in the Kariakoo Derby.

When asked whether Azam FC would miss Feisal Salum following his dismissal, the DR Congo tactician remained confident.

“We have to manage. We have 30 players in our group, so if he is not there, another one is going to play,” he said.