When Yanga unveiled its squad to face Simba in the Community Shield match yesterday, the name of midfielder Aziz Andabwile appeared among the 11 men entrusted by coach Romain Folz to represent the “Wananchi” in that encounter.
Andabwile was handed the role left by Khalid Aucho, with Folz starting the same lineup that defeated Simba 2-0 in the final match of last season, a victory that secured Yanga the NBC Premier League title.
There were fans who were left speechless upon seeing Andabwile’s name on the starting list, but after 90 minutes of play — in which Yanga triumphed 1-0 — the narrative had changed.
Andabwile surprised many with the level of performance he displayed in the match. Perhaps, after those 90 minutes, those who had hoped to see Khalid Aucho return to Jangwani may have to rethink their wishes.
Andabwile did justice to the defensive midfield role. Credit goes to Yanga’s leadership under President Engineer Hersi Said, who, in this transfer window, extended Andabwile’s contract by two years — against the expectations of many who thought he would be among the players shown the door with a “Thank You.”
Moreover, the courage shown by Folz in trusting Andabwile for this match paid off, because had things gone differently, Folz would have carried the burden of blame.
Andabwile has enjoyed good moments in Yanga’s squad since Folz’s arrival. He featured in all the friendly matches that Yanga played during the pre-season.
He seems to have quickly grasped Folz’s playing system, as even in yesterday’s match against Simba, he was often seen directing his teammates at the back on how to position themselves both with and without the ball.
Without a doubt, Moussa Balla Conte — who was expected to be the first-choice defensive midfielder — now has work to do in the face of Andabwile, who appears to have emerged from obscurity...!
