Yikpe on target as Yanga SC beat Singida United to move second on table

Young Africans (Yanga SC) striker Gnamien Yikpe was on target as they beat Singida United 3-1 in a Mainland Premier League match played at National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday.

The Jangwani giants were in need of a win to calm their fans after they had lost to rivals Simba SC in the FA Cup, a defeat that denied them a direct ticket to the Caf Confederation Cup.

Yanga coach Luc Eymael opted to rotate his squad with Ghanaian forward Bernard Morrison, who has gone AWOL since the defeat to Simba, missing from the starting squad.

Eymael also dropped captain Papy Tshishimbi from the starting XI with Kenyan custodian Farouk Shikalo also coming in to replace Metacha Mnata, while Congolese striker David Molinga was handed the honours to lead the attack.

Despite starting the fixture strongly against the already relegated Singida side, Yanga were forced to wait until the 34th minute to take the lead when Paul Godfrey slotted home from a counter-attack.

Veteran striker Mrisho Ngasa then made it 2-0 for Yanga after connecting to a cross from Molinga but with few a minutes remaining to the half-time break, Singida pulled a goal back courtesy of Stephen Sey.

Second-half substitute Yikpe, who signed for Yanga from Kenyan champions Gor Mahia, and has been the subject of criticism from the fans, got the third goal after racing onto a defence-splitting pass before rounding the keeper to plant the ball into an empty net in the 69th minute.

Earlier on, Azam FC squandered their chance to stay second on the 20-team league table after they lost by a solitary goal to Mtibwa Sugar.

Issa Rashid scored the all-important goal for the Sugar Millers, who managed to keep the Azam strikers at bay to carry home maximum points.

In other matches, Namungo FC edged out Mbeya City 1-0 with the goal coming from Abeid Athumani, Kagera Sugar won 1-0 against Coastal Union, JKT Tanzania pulled off a 1-1 draw against Alliance FC while Ndanda FC scored a goal in each half to beat Tanzania Prisons 2-1.

With the win, Yanga have now moved second on the log with 67 points, two more than third-placed Azam, while Namungo are fourth on 63 points.