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Dar es Salaam. Hopes are high as Young Africans (Yanga) midfielder Pacome Zouzoua is expected to feature in the upcoming CAF Champions League quarterfinal clash against South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns this Saturday at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
However, the team’s right back defender, Kouassi Attohoula Yao, faces uncertainty ahead of the crucial match due to injuries.
Zouzoua is now with Ivory Coast national football team and was among the substitutes in their first world football governing body (FIFA)’s Series friendly against Benin. The encounter, which was held in Amiens, France, ended in a 2-2 draw.
According to the impeccable source, Zouzoua trained well with the team and was able to feature in the match that saw Oumar Diakite scored a second-half equaliser to spare the blushes of newly-crowned African champions.
He said that Yanga have good communication with the Ivory Coast national football team’s physician who assured them that he is fit to play.
He said that Zouzoua would be among the players in the next match to be played tomorrow against Uruguay in Lens.
“We have hopes that Pacome will be part of the players on Saturday. He had been training with teammates in the Ivorian national teams in France and was among the substitutes despite not having featured in the encounter. We hope he will rejoin the team after Tuesday’s (tomorrow) match against Uruguay,” he said.
As Pacome gives Yanga hopes, the fate of the team’s another Ivorian player, Kouassi Attohoula Yao, is hanging in the balance ahead of the Saturday encounter.
Yao, who suffers from thigh sprains, has been given a two-day rest by the club’s medical team and needs more medical examination to know his fitness status ahead of the encounter.
“Yao is yet to recover fully ahead of the Saturday encounter and has been given two days to rest before attending another medical checkup, so it’s fifty-fifty to feature in the encounter,” said the source.
However, he said already Yanga technical bench have other options ahead of the game. “We have players who fit for Yao’s position. It is a blow for us, but that would not make us fail to shine against Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday,” said the source.
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