Tanzania: Holders Kinondoni Cruise Into U-17 Quarterfinals

Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam)

Japheth Kazenga

24 June 2011

HOLDERS Kinondoni cruised to the quarterfinals of the ongoing Copa Coca-Cola U-17 national soccer championship with a 4-1 drubbing of Coast Region in an entertaining second round match played at the Karume Memorial Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Friday.

The winners, who somewhat struggled in the first half, could have garnered a bigger win had they fully exploited several close chances they had in the second half.

A hat trick from talismanic striker, Joseph Kimwaga, and one from Clever Charles were eventually enough to see Kinondoni stay in contention for silverware for the third time of asking.

Kinondoni showed intent on taking control of the game when Charles notched the opener after eight minutes before Kimwaga registered his first and the second for his team five minutes later.

Coast Region, though, bravely fought back and scored six minutes from the half time through striker, Said Abdallah, who pounced on a well measured cross whipped in by team mate from the left flank.

Although Kinondoni led 2-1 at half time, the match was largely a balanced affair in the first half, in which both sides made several forays into each other’s goal only to waste chances.

And Kinondoni were forced into the defensive approach during the closing stages of the first half as their opponents persistently pushed forward in search of an equalizer, only to be frustrated by the former’s tight defence.

Kinondoni had an upper hand in the second half and, after a couple of misses, Kimwaga registered the third goal after evading his marker down the right flank before easily slotting home past helpless Coast Region keeper.

He scored the fourth after 79 minutes almost in similar fashion, beating two defenders down the right flank prior to sliding the ball past onrushing Coast Region keeper from outside the penalty area.

Kilimanjaro were playing Rukwa in another second round match at Tanganyika Packers venue the same day in the morning while two other matches were scheduled to take place in the evening, in which Temeke played Mara at Karume Memorial Stadium as Arusha and Shinyanga locked horns at Tanganyika Packers venue.

Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) has organized the tournament, which is sponsored by soft drinks manufacturers Coca-Cola, in an effort to promote the sport from grassroots apart from identifying talents for junior national teams.

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