Singida resume domestic campaign at Mashujaa

SOUTH AFRICA: SINGIDA Black Stars will look to maintain their strong start to the Mainland Premier League when they face Mashujaa FC at Lake Tanganyika Stadium today, with the encounter also offering coach Papi Kimoto a chance to fine-tune his side ahead of their CAF Confederation Cup return leg.

Singida go into the match on the back of an impressive 7-1 first-leg victory over South Sudan’s Al-Ghazala Wau in the preliminary qualifying round of the Confederation Cup.

The second leg is scheduled for Sunday, meaning today’s league encounter comes just days before Singida return to continental action.

Kimoto will therefore be keen to use the Mashujaa match to maintain his side’s momentum while addressing the defensive weaknesses he identified after the victory over Al-Ghazala.

“We controlled the match and scored a lot of goals, but the only black spot was that we conceded yet again due to the poor positioning of my defenders,” Kimoto said after the 7-1 win.

“That is the bad point. We aren’t going to let our guard down; we will continue to work to try and erase that.”

Singida’s attacking form will give them confidence heading into the clash, having scored 12 goals in their opening five league matches.

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They sit fourth in the table with 10 points, following three wins, one draw and one defeat. Mashujaa, meanwhile, are 10th with six points from five matches.

They have won two and lost three, scoring four goals and conceding five. The hosts will be looking to bounce back from their 1-0 defeat by Dodoma Jiji in their previous league outing, while Singida will aim to avoid dropping points before turning their attention back to the Confederation Cup.

Singida have also enjoyed the better record in recent meetings, winning three of the last four encounters between the sides, with the other ending in a draw.

For Kimoto, however, the focus will be on ensuring his players remain competitive in the league while using the match to sharpen their preparations for the return leg against Al-Ghazala.

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