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Dar es Salaam. Young Africans (Yanga) find themselves in a tight spot after being held to a goalless draw by Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa in their African Champions League quarterfinal first-leg match at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on March 30, 2024.
Yanga now need a victory or at least a 1-1 or 2-2 draw to qualify for the semifinals of the competition.
Should the teams end with a goalless draw, the match would be decided by a penalty shootout.
The two teams will clash again on April 5, 2024, at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria.
The match was nothing short of entertaining as both sides gave their all, but were met with equally strong defending and goalkeeping.
True to their enterprising style, Mamelodi Sundowns kept possession of the ball, hoping to tire out their hosts, who stood their ground and responded with quick counter-attacks.
Yanga were the first to have a sniff at goal in the 27th minute when Clement Mzize broke through but disappointingly fired a straight shot that was easily gathered by the in-form Ronwen Williams.
Just seconds before the break, Teboho Mokoena unleashed one of his trademark long-distance strikes, which almost caught Djigui Diarra off guard.
Coming back from the break, Yanga had better chances, despite Mamelodi Sundowns having more possession.
Mzize was back in the Mamelodi Sundowns danger area again in the 57th minute when he rose above his markers to connect with a Stephane Aziz Ki cross that narrowly missed the target with Williams rooted to the ground.
Yanga’s best opportunity came in the 68th minute when Kennedy Musonda found himself one-on-one with Williams, but it was the Mamelodi Sundowns shot-stopper who came out on top with a crucial save to deny the hosts the lead.
The match continued to be a highly tactical affair, with both sides attacking cautiously and defending in numbers as it ended goalless.
Yanga’s head coach, Miguel Gamondi, commended his players for their good performance in the encounter.
“The players played well, although the scoreboard does not reflect the chances we created in the match. We had scoring opportunities that could have secured us the win, but it’s part of the game, and we need to show our best in the return leg,” said Gamondi.
For his part, Rhulani Mokwena admitted to facing strong opposition from Yanga but expressed confidence that they will sail through into the next stage.
“We are going to meet them at our home ground, and we are confident we will win and secure a slot in the semifinals,” said Mokwena.
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