Simba striker Jonathan Sowah, who was suspended for five matches for an act of indiscipline, has broken his silence, saying that despite the punishment handed down by the League Board, the incident involving Azam FC’s Himid Mao was not intentional, insisting he was only contesting for the ball and did not mean to elbow him.
The striker, who joined Simba from Singida Black Stars after scoring a total of 14 goals in 15 matches—13 in 14 Premier League games and one in the FA Cup semifinals—has been handed a five-match suspension and fined TSh 1 million for elbowing Himid during the Mzizima Derby, a match Simba lost 2–0.
Sowah said that as a player he is saddened by the punishment he received, but maintained that he never intended to strike Himid, explaining that he was only going for the ball and unfortunately his arm made contact with the experienced midfielder.
He added that at the time he was fighting for a team that was trailing 2–0 and wanted to stop an attack, noting that Azam were leading the match while Simba were struggling to get back into the game.
“When Himid went down, I thought he was pretending, which is why I was telling him to get up so we could continue with the match. I didn’t realize that I had hit him. When he stayed on the ground, I felt it was part of game tactics, especially when opponents are leading and start wasting time,”
“I am not a dirty player, and I want to make that clear because I see that there is a quiet campaign going on to damage my career,” said Sowah.
The striker added that he has been hearing and seeing discussions labeling him as indisciplined, but believes that a fruit-bearing tree is always the one that gets stones thrown at it.
“I noticed this a long time ago because last season I joined during the mid-season window and scored many goals, yet I wasn’t even included in the awards list, as if I had done nothing,”
“Now the season has just started and I’m missing five important matches. This feels like more than just punishment. I feel bad staying out while my fans miss seeing me on the pitch, but I believe this will pass,” he added.
Before joining Singida Black Stars during the mid-season transfer window, Sowah played for Al Nasr of Libya, where he scored seven goals in half a season.
When he arrived at Singida, the striker continued his fine form, scoring 13 goals in half a season and coming close to league top scorer Jean Ahoua, who led with 16 goals.
According to the fixture list, Sowah will miss five matches in which Simba are set to face Mtibwa Sugar, Singida Black Stars, KMC, TRA United, and Tanzania Prisons.
Source: Mwanaspoti
