Yanga’s unbeaten run came to an end on Tuesday after falling 2-1 away to bottom placed side Ihefu FC in a Tanzania Mainland Premier League match hosted at Highland Estate Stadium in Mbeya.
Yannick Bangala gave the front runners a ninth minute lead only for the home side to equalize on the 39th minute courtesy of Zimbabwean international Never Tigere.
Leny Kisu scored the winning goal for the Mbogo Maji in the 62nd minute when he sent a powerful header from a corner, leaving Malian goalkeeper Djigui Diarra helpless to prevent it entering the net.
The result left Yanga still pegged at the summit of the Tanzania Mainland Premier League table with 32 points from 12 matches. The Citizens do have one game in hand over their closest rivals Azam FC, but with Nasreddine Nabbi warning that his team is becoming tired, there is no guarantee the extra match will translate to points.
“We have played far too many matches in a short space of time. Fatigue is beginning to show. We lacked sharpness against Ihefu,” said Nabbi.
Yanga got the breakthrough on ninth minute when Joyce Lomalisa picked unmarked Yannick Bangala, who headed the ball into the back of an empty net.
The visitors enjoyed a lot of procession from onset but other than Bangala’s first goal, they had to wait until 27th minute for their next opening as Fiston Mayele saw his strike deflect onto upright.
The Congolese striker was a constant threat in the final third but should have doubled the lead in half an hour mark when he was picked out by Aucho at the far post but was unable to fire past goalkeeper Mapara.
However, the hosts were stunned into silence by Never Nigere’s well-taken free kick six minute before the half-time break.
Ihefu remained a threat on the counter, though, and very nearly hit Yanga with another sucker punch in the 81st minute as Juma Nyoso fired over following a well-worked corner.
However, despite their best efforts, the league leaders were unable to claw their way back on level terms in the remaining minutes as Ihefu held on for a famous victory at Highlands Park
