Just days after sealing his much-talked-about switch from Vipers SC, the Ugandan midfielder made an instant statement as Yanga swept aside Mashujaa FC 6–0 in a one-sided Tanzanian Premier League encounter on Monday.
While the scoreline told its own story, Okello’s assured debut added an extra layer of excitement for the Dar es Salaam giants.
Composed and confident on his first outing, Okello crowned his performance by playing a key role in Yanga’s sixth goal.
His thunderous free-kick was parried by Mashujaa goalkeeper Erick Johora, spilling invitingly into the path of fellow debutant Laurindo Dilson Depu, who made no mistake in completing the rout.
From the opening minutes, Yanga were in complete control. Camara Damaro set the tone with an early strike inside eight minutes, before Duke Abuya, Pacome Zouzoua, Prince Dube and Mudathir Abbas all found the back of the net as Mashujaa struggled to cope with the champions’ pace and precision.
Yet amid the flood of goals, Okello’s seamless adaptation stood out. Deployed high on the right side of midfield, the former Vipers playmaker constantly demanded possession, dictated the rhythm of play and linked Yanga’s attacking movements with maturity beyond a first appearance.
His influence was further underlined by the trust shown in him by the technical bench. Okello handled set-piece duties, stayed on the pitch for the full 90 minutes and came close to marking his debut with a goal of his own, forcing Johora into several fine saves with well-struck efforts from range.
The emphatic victory keeps Young Africans firmly at the summit of the league standings with 19 points from seven matches, opening a two-point cushion over JKT Tanzania while still holding games in hand. Mashujaa, meanwhile, remain fourth but were left chasing shadows throughout the contest.
For Okello, attention now quickly turns to a much bigger challenge. Yanga travel to Cairo on Friday to take on African heavyweights Al Ahly in the CAF Champions League.
Leave feedback about this