Jaro Soja leads tributes to deceased Yanga fan killed in accident
Kenya’s number one football fan Jarius Abong’o aka Jaro Soja has led fans in sending tributes to one of the region’s most recognised fanatics who died in a road accident on Tuesday.
Ally Yanga, a popular fan of Tanzania’s Yanga FC, was killed in a tragic road accident in Dodoma.
Until his death, he was a constant fixture in the team’s home and away games.
He always attended Yanga matches donned in the club’s replica jersey and having “smeared” himself with charcoal to “appease the gods”.
The club has since issued a statement confiming his death.
GREATEST AMBASSADORS
“His death leaves a big gap because he was not only one of our greatest ambassadors but also a great servant and ardent fanatic,” the club’s media team said.
In his tribute, Jaro Soja said; “I knew him well, he was a young and energetic chap and not rowdy as most football fans are perceived to be.”
“Once I got arrested in Tanzania (during the Cecafa Cup in 2015), he personally came to the police station and pleaded with the police to release me unconditionally. I will miss him and I am sending my condolences to his friends and family,” Soja told Nairobi News.
Here are some of the sampled tributes posted on Twitter:
This is on top of my football trolls list. It's even better on a day Libolo have registered a big win over Zesco. R.I. P Ally Yanga pic.twitter.com/z9XpZeEKPY
— MichaelMwebe (@MichaelMwebe) June 20, 2017
people like u make football the beautiful thing that it is,we will never forget u, a die hard supporter of Yanga…RIP ALLY YANGA? pic.twitter.com/KzdYMrFZRA
— Geoffrey Lea (@geoffiejeff) June 20, 2017
Rest in peace ally yanga pic.twitter.com/PGICl8nriu
— kingsmusic (@Revocath2) June 20, 2017
R.I.P Ally Yanga the best fan of Young Africans, I met him when his team came to play with APRFC, he was a good guy #Tanzania pic.twitter.com/xCPoeEkvtl
— HABIMANA Christian (@habichris) June 20, 2017