Poor annoying football: Tusker coach Julien Mette slams Singida Black Stars' style of play after 1-0 CAF Confederations Cup defeat

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Tusker FC coach Julien Mette has blasted Singida Black Stars’ style of play after the Tanzanian outfit handed his team a 1-0 defeat in the first leg of their CAF Confederation Cup second preliminary round tie at Nyayo National Stadium on Sunday.

The Brewers failed to capitalise on home advantage, leaving themselves needing to overturn the deficit in the return leg in Dar es Salaam on Sunday, October 25, to keep their continental campaign alive.

Congolese winger Jeancy Mboma scored the decisive goal seven minutes into the second half, handing Singida a valuable advantage ahead of the return fixture.

Mette was particularly frustrated by Tusker’s failure to translate their overall performance into goals, arguing that his side had played better football but were punished by Singida’s efficiency in front of goal.

“The way that Singida play football is really poor and annoying. We are better, but they won. So, that's the cruelty from football,” he said during the pitchside post-match interviews after the match.

The Frenchman, however, acknowledged that Singida had made the most of their opportunity, praising the scorer for taking his chance rather than attempting another pass.

Tusker threatened early, with Ian Simiyu testing Singida goalkeeper Yona Amos after a move involving Alvin Mang’eni and Victor Mbaoma. However, the hosts struggled to turn their attacking play into goals.

The breakthrough came in the 52nd minute when Mboma’s left-flank delivery found the net, catching Tusker goalkeeper Perrauld Ndinga off guard and giving the visitors the lead.

Tusker struggled to find a response despite pushing forward in search of an equaliser, with Singida remaining organised defensively to protect their advantage.

The Kenyan side had opportunities to take the lead before the break but failed to convert them, a shortcoming that ultimately proved costly against the Tanzanian visitors.

After conceding, the Brewers increased the pressure but found Singida difficult to break down. Mbaoma missed an opportunity to restore parity, while captain Aboud Omar sent a free-kick narrowly wide as Tusker searched for a way back into the contest.

Despite the loss, the Frenchman insists the Brewers remain capable of turning the tie around in Tanzania, but challenged his players to be more direct and decisive in the final third if they are to keep their continental campaign alive.

“The result is quite difficult, but we preserve the chance. If we had conceded the second goal, 2-0 would have meant a 10% chance,” Mette said.

Tusker now face the task of overturning the deficit in the return leg in Dar es Salaam Mette believing the narrow margin leaves the tie open. He said Tusker had performed well as a team but needed to improve their decision-making in the final 20 metres, where they lacked the directness required to trouble their opponents consistently.

“We need more direct [play] once we arrive in the last third, in the last 20,” he explained.

Beyond the result, the coach expressed disappointment at failing to give the home supporters a victory but remains hopeful that his team can deliver a turnaround on Tanzanian soil.

“I'm just disappointed for the Kenyan fans, we wanted to offer them a victory today,” he concluded.

Singida, who reached the Confederation Cup group stage last season, held firm in the closing stages to secure an important away victory.