Simba Sports Club failed to narrow the gap on runaway league leader Yanga after being held to 1-1 draw by Geita Gold on Sunday.
The Msimbazi Reds were bidding to recover from one-all draw against Azam on Wednesday when they visited Geita Gold at CCM Kirumba Stadium, Mwanza on Sunday.
The wobbling champions could only afford a draw in a match that was largely controlled by the home side who broke the deadlock on the 20th minute courtesy of red-hot striker George Mpole.
Simba found the equalizer eight minutes later courtesy of Denis Kibu’s header but the draw was not enough to close in his team’s quest to reduce the gap between them and table leaders Yanga.
The draw left the defending champions 12 points behind Yanga who are atop the Tanzania Mainland Premier League table with just five matches remaining.
The visitors had an early effort at goal as Pape Sakho headed the ball over the bar in the seventh minute, but it was Aces who put on the real pressure.
Denis Kibu unleashed a shot in the 15th minute that required a save from Khomeiny Abubakar, before a header from Juma Nyoso went wide of the visitors’ goal.
The breakthrough arrived in the 20th minute as Mpole netted his 13th goal of the season. The striker drove into the area with strength before finishing with confidence.
Aboubakar was called upon to make two more stops when John Bocco directed a header at the Geita Gold goal and Danny Lyanga’s shot also threatened the away side’s goal.
But Simba found the equalizer on the 28th minute after Kibu headed home Shomary Kapombe’s header after the Miners defence was caught napping.
The hosts were close to netting a second in the 40th minute when Edmund John nearly found the back of the net before Mpole followed up to hit the post with his effort.
The second half started off slowly, as both the sides sussed out each other in the earlier exchanges of the half.
Simba struggled to gather rhythm and presented Pape Sakho another opportunity with a header from a corner-kick 12 minutes from the break, but Abubakar saved.
Geita Gold pushed and pushed in the middle of the second stanza and worked yet another chance from a half-volley by Adeyum Saleh after a punch by Beno Kakolanya , but it went over.
Kakolanya was called into action minutes later once again, this time parrying Mpole’s powerful effort out for a corner.
Simba Sports Club finished the game the stronger of the two, but could not find the all important winning goal.
