A first-half hat-trick by Jean Baleke has earned Simba SC a deserved 3-0 win over a 10-man Coastal Union in a Tanzanian Premier League fixture on Thursday.
The encounter at Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam witnessed the Wekundu wa Msimbazi maintain their unbeaten start to the season. Baleke netted in the sixth minute to put his side ahead before doing the same in the 11th minute and 40th minute respectively when he scored via a spot kick.
It is the second hat-trick of the campaign after that sealed by Azam FC’s Feisal Salum in their 4-0 triumph over Tabora United. However, Coastal Union suffered a blow in the 19th minute when Haji Ugano was shown a straight red card following a reckless challenge on Simba defender Henock Inonga.
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After the impact, Inonga was rushed to Temeke Hospital for further treatment and immediate reports suggested that he is progressing well. In the second half, despite playing with 10 men on the field, the Tanga-based side succeeded in defending well to avoid conceding extra goals in the second half.
Meanwhile, an 88th-minute strike by Mudathir Yahya secured Simba rivals Young Africans (Yanga SC) a slim 1-0 win over Namungo. The tight game at Azam Complex in Dar es Salaam saw the defending champions move to the summit of the table courtesy of nine points.
Namungo showed defensive resilience from the first whistle until it was finally unscrewed by substitute Mudathir. Yanga have since maintained their unbeaten run in their three straight league matches which has seen them scoring 11 goals without conceding.