Young Africans SC head coach Manqoba Mngqithi has blamed the early injury to Harambee Stars midfielder Duke Abuya for disrupting his side’s midfield control during their 2-1 defeat to Simba SC in the Kariakoo Derby.Abuya was forced off in the 25th minute after sustaining a left-foot injury, dealing Yanga an early setback in one of Tanzania’s biggest football fixtures. Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsFred Ngoma was introduced as his replacement, but the defending champions subsequently struggled to maintain their grip on the contest.Yanga had made a bright start, taking the lead inside the opening five minutes through Peter Shalulile. ##NAJAVA_MECA_10017427##However, Abuya’s departure altered the balance of the match, with Mngqithi later identifying the substitution as a turning point in the encounter.The Jangwani-based outfit initially looked capable of protecting their advantage, but Simba gradually grew into the game and increased the pressure on their rivals as the second half progressed.Their persistence paid off seven minutes after the hour mark when Neo Maema restored parity, giving the hosts renewed momentum. Elie Mpanzu then completed the turnaround four minutes later, scoring the decisive goal to hand Simba a significant derby victory.Harambee Stars midfielder suffers injury as Yanga lose Kariakoo Derby to Simba SCSpeaking after the match, Mngqithi admitted that losing Abuya disrupted the structure that had allowed his team to control the midfield during the opening stages.“Unfortunately, we lost Duke, and I think that’s where the game changed. He is a very important player in our team.In my opinion, the game was lost from that substitution of Duke because our midfield was very strong. The team was playing very well, but unfortunately, when you lose such a key figure so early in the game, you have to dig very deep,” he said.The defeat marked Yanga’s first loss of the season and ended their three-year unbeaten run in the Kariakoo Derby, underlining the significance of the result in the early stages of the campaign.Massive boost for Tusker as trio is registered ahead of Singida Black Stars contestAbuya has established himself as a regular starter since joining Yanga from Kenya Police FC, with his midfield presence making him an important component of Mngqithi’s plans. However, the full extent of the injury and the duration of his absence has not yet been confirmed The result also reshaped the league standings, with Simba moving to the summit on 21 points while Yanga dropped to second place, adding further significance to the rivalry beyond bragging rights.
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