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Dar es Salaam. The country’s football heavyweight, Young Africans (Yanga), will face Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa tonight (April 05, 2024) in the decisive return leg of the CAF Champions League quarterfinals.
The match is scheduled to take place at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa, at 9 pm East African time.
Mauritanian referee Dahane Beida will officiate the Yanga-Mamelodi Sundowns clash in South Africa.
It is crucial for both teams to qualify for the semifinals of the competition.
In the first leg, Yanga recorded a goalless draw at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on March 30, 2024, in Dar es Salaam.
The Jangwani Street giants need at least a 1-1 draw or victory to qualify for the next knockout stage of the competition. Any negative result for Yanga will lead to their exit from the competition.
So far, the match has attracted the attention of football enthusiasts across the African continent due to the caliber of the teams involved.
Mamelodi Sundowns have the best records at their home venue with impressive performances in the continent’s competition.
They are currently the African Football League (AFL) champions. The main question ahead of the encounter is whether Mamelodi Sundowns will maintain their unbeaten record at home.
This is due to the fact that the team has lost only one match on their home soil since 2022.
Mamelodi Sundowns have managed to win a total of 12 home CAF matches out of 13 they played.
Records show that the team lost only one match while recording four draws at the home venue.
They lost 2-0 against CR Belouizdad on April 9, 2021, in the same competition.
Also, in the CAF Champions League playoff, Mamelodi Sundowns were eliminated by Wydad Club Athletic of Morocco after recording a 2-2 draw at their home ground in the second leg played on May 20, 2023.
Mamelodi Sundowns recorded a goalless draw against Wydad in the first leg played in Casablanca on May 13, 2023.
This indicates that Yanga can prevail against Mamelodi Sundowns in tonight’s duel.
Miguel Gamondi, head coach of Young Africans (Yanga), said that despite the match being tough, their primary target is to win and qualify for the semifinals.
Gamondi said that they need to fight hard in the encounter as they are playing against a strong team with good players.
“We have trained well, and my players are ready for the encounter. We know it will not be easy as all teams need the results that would make them qualify for the next stage.
I am happy that all players are in top morale and promised to fight hard to make all Tanzanians happy,” said Gamondi.
He explained that they have rectified all mistakes and sharpened skills ahead of the encounter.
“We are facing a formidable team, but it is a moment for my players to stun them. We consider ourselves equal to them, and that’s why we’re not worried,” he said.
Since 2022, Yanga have managed to win eight international matches, drawing two, and losing three in all CAF matches.
In South Africa, Yanga managed to win over Marumo Galaxy.
Rhulan Mokwena, head coach of Mamelodi Sundowns, expressed his readiness to face Yanga and was confident of getting a positive result.
He said that his players will not repeat the mistakes like what they suffered heartbreak at the hands of Wydad Casablanca in the tournament’s semifinal last season, losing on away goals.
Mokwena said they have learned from that chastening experience.
In the Africa Football League (AFL) in November, Sundowns lost 2-1 to the selfsame Wydad away from home but returned to Pretoria to register a 2-0 win to be crowned inaugural champions of the tournament.
“The biggest lesson of a Champions League game is that you can’t be too comfortable with being comfortable because that’s when you are vulnerable,” he said.
“When you are 0-0, the potential of a counterattack can spin the narrative of the game and you have to be careful when you are in possession of the ball. You have to be careful when you are comfortable; you must try to understand the context of the game.
“You just think about the semifinal last season against Wydad where we drew in Morocco and had to come here and get the result — unfortunately it was 2-2 (at home),
“Fortunately, Yanga had moments where they tried to play from the back through the midfield to upfront, where they have good players with speed, like Kennedy Musonda who comes from the left as an inverted striker. We have taken all preventive measures against their game plan,” he said.
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