Thu, 08 Feb 2018 12:39:31 +0000
By BENNIE MUNDANDO
ZAMBIAN striker Aubrey Chirwa has continued with his free-scoring prowess in the Vodacom premier league in Tanzania as he registered another hatrick on Tuesday afternoon.
His team, Young Africans, which is under the tutelage of George Lwandamina, thrashed Njombe Mji 4-0 to pile more pressure on log leaders, Simba.
Chirwa was the main threat that created panic in the opponents’ rear as his bullish and dazzling runs spelt trouble and could have opened his account with only three minutes played when his grass cutter was blocked by a plethora of defenders that vultured around him.
Chirwa continued tormenting and toying around with Njombe Mji defenders but his effort from the 18-yard box was again blocked for a throw-in, nine minutes into the game.
But it was in the second half that he came back more purposeful and only lasted a minute before putting his team ahead with a fine shot at the far post
The move leading to the goal was started by Ibrahim Ajib who skipped an attempted tackle from his marker on the right, buccaneered goal-wards and blitzed a low pass to Chirwa who tapped in with precision from an onrushing goalkeeper, Rajabu Mbululo.
Things got worse for the visitors 10 minutes later when Mbululo was given matching orders after a straight red card for handling the ball from outside the 18-yard box thereby giving a numerical advantage to the hosts, though the resultant free-kick went begging.
Two minutes later, Chirwa scored the second goal for his side. Matheo Anthony had collected a searching ball from the midfield and raced with it, looked up and saw Chirwa unmarked at the far post before releasing an in-swinger which Chirwa dealt with through a diving header,
However, Ahmed Adiware parried the ball off the line with his hands, giving away a penalty which Chirwa netted effortlessly
With 69 minutes played, Anthony splinted with the ball on the right wing before releasing a thunderbolt which cannoned off the post and fell graciously on the path of Emmanuel Martin who chested the ball before planting a scorcher beyond the goalkeeper’s reach to make it 3-0.
With only three minutes remaining before the end of the match, Chirwa crowned a sweet evening to himself when he netted a hatrick, his second for Yanga since joining the Tanzanian defending champions last year.
Yang Africans are now on 34 points, four adrift of leaders Simba after 17 matches that Lwandamina’s boys have played so far though the latter still have a game in hand.
