Slightly Exaggerated: Not So Different

Slightly Exaggerated: Not So Different: I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was stunning. She entered the courtroom in absolute possession of determination, self-assurance and ...

TOOTHLESS SIMBA

Simba registered their seventh draw of the season as  they were held  to a 1-1 draw by the army men,JKT Oljoro at Sheikh Abeid Karume stadium in Arusha.The draw  means Simba are still trailing both Yanga and Azam who have  a game in hand advantage.

Mwinyi Kazimoto gave Simba an early lead five minute into the game through his trademark screaming shot that tore past the net. On realising the danger posed by Simba, JKT oljoro resorted to aggressive pressure and some thuggish tackles that put to an end Paul Ngalema's contribution in Simba defence in the 23rd minute of the game.

Simba missed several chances to extend  their lead in the first half as JKT Oljoro slowly crept back into the game.JKT Oljoro relentless pressure paid off in just nine minutes after the restart of the second half. Paul Nonga capitalised on  Simba's defence mistake to equalize.

Despite the introduction of fresh legs of Edward Christopher and Mrisho Ngassa,Simba could not find the back of the net to collect the maximum points. This is Simba's second consecutive draw in the Vodacom Premier league.

AMRI KIEMBA: REDEMPTION

A proud heart can survive a general failure because such a failure does not prick its pride, so goes an African proverb.This might be well said of Amri Kiemba, the Taifa Stars and Simba midfielder who has finally blossomed without actually changing his style of play that had threatened to relegate him into just another player among many in the Vodacom Premier League. Kiemba’s  story  is a story of faith in one’s talent.

Many of us had feared it was going to be downhill  when he was released by Yanga. Very few Tanzanian players have the courage to move on to higher levels after being released by  Simba and Yanga. Many h despair, some even completely hang up their boots seeing nothing but failure ahead.  For a player who is not mentally strong, failure to breakthrough at Simba and Yanga can wreck his career completely. Simba  and Yanga are a wild jungle, a race against time to survive  the ridiculous fans expectations, there is no time to nurture the weak ones. There is no time given for a player to adapt. It is either instant delivery in terms of performance or  instant dismissal.

So seeing Amri Kiemba becoming an integral of the national team set up is still a surprise to many of us.  He has cemented his position both at club level and the national team. For player who was released into the wilderness by Yanga only to later on resurface at Simba after several seasons is a remarkable journey of faith and belief. It is a testament of strong belief in ones talent. A triumph of sort against his doubters.

At one time, Kiemba was in the wilderness of Kagera turning out for Kagera Sugar in the Vodacom premier league. His redemption is a story of a player who never changed his style despite the criticism and the rejection at Yanga. He believed in what he was doing, keeping his style .His game is based on close ball control, a player who has to feel the ball, neatly controlling it before passing it. His style tends to be slow like he has a sexual fondness for the ball, he just has to keep it close, feel it with a part of his body before releasing it.  At times it can be annoying watching him taking his time with ball especially when his team is trailing. At times he can be slower than a crippled tortoise taking all the holding on to the ball.

Shaban Kisiga: When home is not the Best Place

They say East or West home is the best, but to some footballers sometimes a home move from abroad turns into disappointment. Shaban Kisiga, Yusuph Hamisi and Salim Kinje are a talented bunch of players whose move  back to Tanzania never paid off and one might be rightly tempted to assume that they would chose otherwise if they could turn back the hand of time. These are among the few talented Tanzanian players who have had the courage to cross  borders  to  pursue professional football careers in neighbouring countries.

Shaban Marlone Kisiga ,currently playing for  Mtibwa Sugar was a darling of Sports Club Villa fans in Uganda.In the early years of the new millennium,Sports Club Villa under  Serbian tactician,Micho,was at the peak of regional club football,playing  attractive football,attracting passionate fans. Villa attracted various  talented footballers from all corners of the region.Shaban Kisiga was among the lucky talented footballers to don the the then prestigious Villa jersey.

Gifted with a rare sublime touch, a magical left foot, coupled with an eye for goal, Kisiga was the darling of the Villa faithful. Many begged him to  play for the Uganda Cranes in appreciation of his talent. Among the talented pool of players at Villa, Micho,the current Rwanda coach, had his greatest admiration reserved for Kisiga. Those who are lucky enough to have seen Kisiga at his peak  in his prime days would surely believe that Micho was not playing his usual gimmicks. After all,Kisiga was not a  Ugandan,it would not have served his ambitions of coaching Uganda by  praising a foreign player.Micho had genuine admiration for Kisiga.

Kisiga was an exceptional left footed attacking midfielder. His game was not built through pace or aggressive tackles and endless running. He had his own way of playing,took his time with the ball without wasting chances for his team.H e knew when to hold on to the ball and when to slide a pass to a well- positioned team mate. He had positional sense and instinct to be at the right place at the right time  to give his team an advantage going forward.

Unfortunately after leading  Villa to CECAFA glory by defeating Simba , Kisiga was lured back home,Tanzania.He  left Villa for Simba . He was lured with the riches of Tanzanian league . Perhaps he wanted to enjoy  the  the attention of  his country mate,to bathe in the glory of the over-hyped Tanzanian league. It might have been a patriotic desire to play for his beloved  national team. Perhaps just like any other Tanzanian footballer,the child in him wanted to play for Simba, after all, nearly all  Tanzanians footballers want to play for either  Simba or Yanga,it is their equivalent of Barcelona and Real Madrid,one has to automatically swear allegiance one of the two clubs. Or, perhaps,he was offered a deal that he simply could not refuse.That we will  never know unless he himself speaks out.

One thing for sure,the move back home backfired, it simply never turned out as he and many others would have expected. Kisiga was constantly injured, his time at Simba was restricted to injuries. Despite the constant injuries, he gave out his best whenever he was given a chance to play. Tanzanian clubs have never been patient with injured players, the moment a player picks up an injury that puts him off for a big duration of the league,he is sure to be kissed away. Rejected, neglected and cast away like the lepers in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.

He also played for Azam,currently he turns out for Morogoro based club,Mtibwa Sugar where he has shown a glimpse of his old form. He was voted the most valuable player in the ABC cup last year,a lucrative 8 team tournament in Tanzania. It can certainly be said that his best days were at Villa.The ‘hoof it up’ nature of the Tanzanian league never suited his style of play.