KAGERA Sugar head coach Fred Felix ‘Minziro’ has attributed his side's late defeat against Young Africans SC to defenders' loss of concentration in the outfits’ NBC Premier League tie that took place at Azam Complex Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday.

Kagera Sugar paid the price for one mistake eight minutes into stoppage time when they conceded a sloppy goal.

The visitors had done well to contain the dominant Young Africans SC from scoring until Stephane Aziz Ki’s pass found the unmarked Mudathir Yahya who chipped the ball over the on-rushing goalkeeper Ngereka Katembua to score the only goal of the game.

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Minziro- who forced Young Africans SC, alias Yanga, into a goalless draw in his first game in charge of Kagera Sugar in February- said his side came with a winning intent.

He admitted while his boys were on the brink of securing at least a draw but ended up crumbling by conceding a late goal due to a loss of concentration towards the end of the game. He praised the hosts for getting a win in the end.

"Our game plan was to make sure we come out with at least one or three points. We already had one point, all that was left was to fight for the remaining two to make it three, but unfortunately, as you saw in the game, we were able to fight until in the 80th minute when we made a mistake that resulted in a goal," the former Yanga coach noted.

Minziro said: "In the first half, we tried to defend well and use counter-attacks, but it's football, the boys tried. I think I can say we lost concentration towards the end.”

“The concentration was not good because, in the first half, they employed the same style of attacking but we were able to stop them from scoring."

"In the last minutes, we made mistakes. We arrived late to the opponent so they used the opportunity to score a goal. All in all, I congratulate my boys, they have done the work that I had instructed them to do. They have done a good job,” he pointed out.

The results leave Kagera Sugar unmoved in seventh position in the log while Yanga now needs five more points to confirm a third successive league title.

Kagera Sugar must dust themselves down swiftly as they face a trip back to their base, Kaitaba Stadium, to face Simba SC on Sunday.

The Kagera club managed to hold off Yanga’s attack for most of the game, but Minziro conceded that complacency played a role in the late concession.

“Playing against Yanga is not easy. We played well for 80 minutes, but sometimes your opponent will punish you for any mistakes you make,” the coach noted.

Minziro praised his players’ effort despite the loss, pointing out: “I want to thank my players for the hard fight. Our tactical plans were disrupted by Yanga. They have made a lot of signings recently, bringing in good players, which makes them very flexible throughout the match.”

Looking ahead, Minziro remained focused on catapulting his squad to securing a top-four finish, revealing: “Our objective now is to finish in the top four. This loss won’t change anything. We will get back to training and fight for the upcoming matches.”

Yahya’s goal proved to be the difference in the tight encounter. The first meeting between these two teams earlier this year ended in a 0-0 draw, while Yanga dominated the previous season’s fixture with a convincing 5-0 victory.

Kagera Sugar currently sits seventh with 30 points after 26 games, trailing fourth-placed Coastal Union by just four points, and will need to win their next few matches to climb into the top four.

The Kagera club's upcoming fixtures include challenging matches against Simba SC, Coastal Union, Azam FC, and Singida Fountain Gate FC.

Meanwhile, Yanga continues its impressive home form. The Jangwani Street outfit has maintained a perfect record at home this season, winning all 13 games played at Azam Complex Stadium. This dominant run has yielded 39 points, with 33 goals scored and only five conceded.

Yanga’s away record has also been impressive, with nine wins, two draws, and just two losses in 13 games. This translates to 29 points, 24 goals scored, and seven conceded.

This victory sees Yanga reach a commanding 68 points from 26 games. They need just five more points to secure their third consecutive NBC Premier League title and 30th overall top-flight honour since 1965. No other team can mathematically catch them at this stage.

Even if the league leader's closest challengers, Azam FC (currently sitting second with 57 points) and Simba SC (third with 53 points), win their remaining games, they will still fall short of Yanga’s total. Azam FC would reach a maximum of 72 points, while Simba SC could only manage 71 points.