Defending champions Moshi Khalsa fought hard to retain the Nyerere hockey championship title after edging out Magereza of Dar es Salaam 3-2 on post-match penalties at the Sikh Union ground in Moshi over the weekend.
According to the Tanzania Hockey Association (THA) secretary Kaushik Doshi, Moshi Khalsa proved yet again that they are indomitable at their home ground after clinching the prestigious trophy for the sixth consecutive year.
“It seems Moshi Khalsa are not ready to let the trophy go out of Moshi and the results speak for themselves,” he said. Both teams displayed classic stick work and moves and in the 13th minute Magereza’s Castro Mayuma notched the first goal for his team. But hosts Moshi Khalsa hit back strongly and Allan Msuya equalised barely two minutes later.
Richard Biriri put Moshi Khalsa ahead in the 19th minute, only for Titus Mulwa to level the score in the 29th minute and make the scoreboard to read 2-2 at the breather.
There was no change in the second half and the two teams were deadlocked twoall after the regulation time. Extra time also failed to break the stalemate and a penalty shootout had to be applied to get the winner.
Moshi Khalsa, banking on the home ground advantage and the support of a partisan crowd, converted three penalties through Gagee Matharu, Tony Newkali and Sethi Oburu, while Magereza managed only two through Obari Joseph and Teddy Adada.
By MBONILE BURTON, Tanzania Daily News
