Ugandan Coach Kiwanuka Hopeful They Can Win The Title After Mbeya Win Over Simba.

It was a good day at office for Ugandan representantives; Matia Lule, Joseph Kiwanuka and Ben Kalama defeating giants Simba SC 1-0 in the NBC Tanzania Premier league on Monday.

Paul Nonga scored an all important goal for Mbeya City Council FC in the 19th minute to bag maximum points.

The three points elevated the team from 7th to 3rd place, now at 19 points behind Simba SC and leaders Young Africans with 24 and 32 points respectively.

Team assistant coach Joseph Kiwanuka working under fellow Ugandan Matia Lule, was impressed by the boys peformance and believes they are good enough to compete for the title speaking to Sports256 in an exclusive interview.

” Am happy with the team’s peformance against one of the league’s giants, the difference with us, is that we take all our opponents serious, we respect them all but fear none. The position we are in now, i think we are also competing for the championship.”

 

The startegy we laid was to win all our home games, which has so far worked out, we are still unbeaten at home.” Kiwanuka stated

The only loss (3-2) Mbeya City have suffered this season was against Castal Union FC.

Coach Jose Kiwa pointed at additions to the squad in the January transfer window as vital to their title chase.

” We had a chance and we reinforced our squad during the Jan window with five players in all departments, so we think this makes us more competitive.”

The five additions to the squad included; goalkeeper Deogratius Mulish, defenders Waziri Hamad, Faisal Mganga, Defensive Midfielder Jamal Dulaz, Attacking Midfielder Shaban Kisiga.

Head coach Lule joined mid season last year and he saved the team from being relegated and his assistants Kiwanuka and goalkeeping coach Kalama joined him in August this season.

Kiwanuka also believes this an opportunity for them as Ugandan coaches to showcase their potential and skills away from Uganda.

Though he highlighted at Tanzania premier league payments being far better than SUPL, he also pointed at long distances of travel as one of the challanges they face away from Uganda.

” In trying to compare the Tanzania Premier league and the SUPL, Here is so different from Ugandan football, all premier league games here are televised, however, we normally play 3 home games and 3 away games.

 

Payments are far much better here compared to SUPL, the league is more organized and Azam is sponsoring the league and the facilities here are better compared to those back home.

 

Clubs also benefit a lot from gate collection on top of the sponsorship package and more importantly Clubs here are entitled to take all the gate collection money.

 

The major challenge is the long trips for the away matches as we have to travel over 1000 miles for a game.

Mbeya City next game is at home against Rovu shooting FC on Tuesday 20th and Simba SC will visit Mtibwa Sugar on Saturday 22nd.