Dar es Salaam. Young Africans (Yanga) have included key players in their trip to South Africa ahead of the quarterfinal second leg of the CAF Champions League against Mamelodi Sundown this Friday.
The players are Pacome Zouzoua, Khalid Aucho, and Kouassi Attohoula Yao. The team leave today, April 2, by a Malawi Airlines plane ahead of the encounter scheduled to take place at the Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria at 9pm East African time.
According to a source within the club, Pacome, Aucho and Yao are doing fine and are likely to feature in the crucial and deciding match.
“We have decided to travel with all our players including three players who did not feature in the first leg against Mamelodi Sundowns as per the technical bench requirement. We are optimistic that the players will be part of the squad in the return leg due to their recovery improvements,” he said.
He said they have taken all precautionary measures ahead of the return leg, insisting that their target is to win the encounter.
“We need to be very keen before and during the match. We have taken all precautionary measures to face Mamelodi Sundowns in the decisive match,” he said.
Apart of the trio, the trip also includes other registered players for both domestic and international competitions. In their first leg held at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, the teams recorded a barren draw. Yanga need at least a 1-1 draw or victory to advance. Should the match end in a goalless draw, it will lead to a penalty shootout.
The government supports 48 members About 48 members and fans of Young Africans (Yanga) SC will spend about three days (72 hours) to South Africa after they left yesterday for the South African country to attend the return leg of the CAF Champions League against Mamelodi Sundowns.
They departed soon after a special farewell ceremony had been held for them at the club’s headquarters in Dar es Salaam.
The farewell was attended by Yanga top officials led by the club president, Hersi Saidi, and the guest of honour, Deputy Minister for Culture, Arts and Sports Hamis “Mwana FA” Mwinjuma. Speaking at the event, Hersi commended the government for accepting their request for transporting 48 fans to support their team in the quarter-final return leg against Mamelodi Sundowns this Friday in Pretoria.
“We are aware that our club has another match in South Africa, so the management has made efforts to submit a request to the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Sports under our Minister, Damas Ndumbaro, to transport fans by bus, and we thank the ministry for accepting our request,” said Hersi.
He said the ministry will cover all the expenses of their trip to South Africa including transport, accommodation and others. Earlier, each of the members and fans was required to pay about Sh600,000 as fare to South Africa to attend the match and 30 people had already paid.
“Following the government support, all the cash will be refunded and I wish you a good journey and I will be part of the people to witness the team (Yanga) sailing through to the semifinals of the competition,” he said.
For his part, Deputy Minister Mwinjuma said the government has decided to do that as part of its contribution to ensuring that the team perform well in South Africa.
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