Kimoto blasts underperforming players despite late winner

MWANZA: SINGIDA Black Stars head coach Papi Kimoto expressed disappointment in his side’s performance in a late 1-0 victory over Pamba Jiji FC at CCM Kirumba Stadium in Mwanza, saying some players had failed to meet expectations.

Jeancy Mboma scored the decisive goal to hand Singida Black Stars a hard-fought Mainland Premier League win after Pamba had been reduced to 10 men following the dismissal of captain Zabona Mayombya in the 34th minute.

Mayombya was shown a red card after a dangerous challenge on Miraji Zambo, following a review by the referee using the Football Video Support (FVS) system. Singida eventually made their numerical advantage count, with the winning goal coming from a move initiated by Zambo’s throw-in.

Frank Assink met the delivery inside the penalty area before setting up Mboma, who fired a low shot beyond Pamba goalkeeper Denis Richard.

Kimoto admitted that his team had struggled to impose themselves during parts of the contest, particularly in the first half, when missed opportunities threatened to undermine their efforts.

“The game was very, very hard for us,” he said. “We were a little bit short mentally in the first half and missed the opportunity to kill the game. I cannot imagine how we failed to score from that chance.”

The coach acknowledged that Pamba defended resolutely after going down to 10 men, forcing Singida to keep pushing until they found the breakthrough.

However, Kimoto was far from satisfied with the contribution of some of his players, pointing to the physical and mental demands of their recent commitments in the Confederation competition as a factor behind the team’s uneven performance.

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“I am very disappointed with some players. I take responsibility for selecting the best team to represent Singida, but they need to show a different image.”

For Pamba, the defeat was a bitter conclusion to a performance that coach Francis Baraza believed deserved greater reward, particularly given his players’ response to the red card.

Baraza commended his team’s effort and discipline, saying he had urged his players to remain composed after Mayombya’s dismissal, believing that patience and organisation could still earn them a positive result.

He also questioned the decision surrounding what he believed was a legitimate Pamba goal, “I thought it was a genuine goal, but they said something about a delay. That is not my job; it is for the relevant officials to deal with,” Baraza said.

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