Hall predicts Bidvest will be hard to beat

Azam garnered a resounding 3-0 win over Bidvest in the first leg duel played at the latter’s venue last weekend to stay in a pole position going into the return leg game.

Azam will, therefore, simply need a draw to secure a place in the next stage of the tournament.
“We won’t be negative because we won 3-0 in the first leg.

It is going to be a tough match...it is always good to win and I want my team to win by two to three goals,” Hall said.

The English tactician said Bidvest underrated his team and the South African side went as far as resting several of its key players in the game and that proved costly.

“Bidvest is a good team. What they did was underrate us because Tanzania has no reputation…they rested their three dependable players and we surprised them,” Hall said.

It is the second time for Azam to take part in continental competitions and qualification for the second round of the event stands to be a significant achievement for the team.

Azam took part in the CAF Champions League in the 2013/14 season and the team was knocked out of the first round of the event by Sudan’s El Merreikh.

Azam had claimed a 2-0 win over the Sudan side in the first leg match played at the Azam Complex, with the former’s regular goal getters, John Bocco and Burundian Didier Kavumbagu, scoring the goals.

El Merreikh, though, overturned the score line in the return leg game played in Khartoum, winning 3-0 to qualify for the next stage.

Meanwhile, Hall has heaped criticism on match officials of the Mainland Premier League’s game between Azam and Shinyanga’s Stand United despite having won by 1-0.

Azam’s defender, Shomari Kapombe, scored the all-important goal midway through the second half of the game played at the Azam Complex on Wednesday.

Hall said Azam could have garnered a 2-0 win but the team was denied what he termed as a clear goal in the opening half.
“We won a tournament in Zambia because the referees were neutral. We won a match in South Africa against a team that is in the second position in the best league in Africa because the referees were neutral…in Tanzania, however, referees are a problem,” Hall said.

Azam are in the third position in the Mainland premier league standings with 50 points from 21 games, tying second-placed Yanga on points but the latter have a better goal aggregate.