Azam FC failed to secure all three points in Mbeya yesterday after being held to a goalless draw by Tanzania Prisons in an NBC Premier League match.
While Tanzania Prisons coach Shadrack Nsajigwa celebrated the valuable point, Azam FC head coach Florent Ibenge blamed the poor condition of the Sokoine Stadium pitch for his team’s failure to win.
“It is difficult to get a victory in conditions like these. This is not a pitch for playing football. When you play on a pitch like this there is no technical play; players are forced to just kick the ball,” said Ibenge.
“It’s not that we are complaining; we are simply speaking the reality. The important thing for us is that we managed to leave with one point, so now we go to prepare for the upcoming matches,” he added.
It was the second consecutive away match in which Azam FC have failed to win, following a 2–2 draw against Pamba Jiji in their previous game.
The “Ice Cream Makers” have moved up to third place in the league standings with 24 points, although they have played one more match than Simba, who sit in fourth place with the same number of points.