Yanga, APR draw

Mainland soccer champions Yanga were forced to a 2-2 draw by APR of Rwanda in a Group `C` Kagame Cup match played at the newly-built 60,000-seater ultra-modern stadium in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

Striker Twite Mbuyu took 15 minutes only to score the first goal for APR who are the defending champions when he used a free kick ball to beat custodian Juma Kaseja.

Mrisho Ngasa equalised for Yanga in the 65th minute when he used a Jerry Tegete`s pass to beat goalie Aime Ndiyeze.

Tegete later added the second for the home side in the 68th.

Mbuyu registered the second goal for the Rwandan club in the 77th when he hit a long range ball from the midfield to beat Kaseja.

Yanga will play Miembeni of Zanzibar on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Simba coach Jamhuri Kihwelu `Julio` claimed his team lost at the hands of Tusker of Kenya in the opening match because of lax and negligent defenders.

Tusker FC of Kenya hit Simba SC 3-2 in the Group `A` match played on the same ground.

“My defenders were not organised throughout the game as most of the time they kept on confusing goalie Ally Mustapha `Barthez`,“ he said.

Simba will now have to win the remaining games to be in a better position of advancing.

Their next match is set for Thursday against Vital’O of Burundi

Yesterday`s lineups:
Yanga: Juma Kaseja, Shadrack Nsajigwa, Amir Maftah, Wisdom Ndlovu, George Owino, Geofrey Bonny, Shamte Ally, Athumani Idd, Boniface Ambani, Abdi Kassim and Mrisho Ngasa.

APR: Aime Ndiyeze, Elias Ntaganda, Mwemere Ngirishuti, Baptiste Mugiraneza, Hegman Ngomirakiza, Twite Mbuyu, Elias Nzamukunda, Moses Odhiambo, Sadou Boubakary, Haruna Niyonzima and Kagange Twite.