Pluijm wants improvement despite vital win

YOUNG Africans head coach Hans Van der Pluijm has urged his side to finish off the job when they host APR in a return leg of their CAF Champions League tie at the National Stadium on March 26.

The Tanzania Mainland envoys, Young Africans, have one foot in the second round of CAF Champions League following their 2-1 win away to APR in the first leg encounter at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda on Saturday.

Pluijm said he was satisfied with the results, but called on his players to improve their performance ahead of the return leg in Dar es Salaam.

“I think that it’s very important that if you play away you come away with three points and you win, I think that is the most important thing, and for me it is not only important you win the match, but also the way you win,” said Pluijm.

Pluijm explained his team did not play so well particularly in the second half, saying they could have done much better and avoid APR’s late goal that came from a set piece. “In the first half we didn’t give chances away, in the second half, they were a bit offensive but they didn’t create many chances.

You’re leading 2-0 and there is a cross that comes in, the defenders should have done better, in my opinion the goal our opponents scored was easy,” he lamented. The Dutch trainer urged his players to keep their feet on the ground and concentrate on the return leg as nothing is over yet.

“We have to be very serious in preparations towards the second match, now we have clear vision how the opponent is playing, I think that is very important,” he warned. Pluijm noted that his team will be more offensive during the return leg having sat back for the majority of the Saturday’s encounter. “In Tanzania it will be again a tough game, and we’ll have to be ready for the game.”

Pluijm recalled that football is the game of mistakes and that whoever makes a few mistakes would likely win the match. His APR counterpart, Nizar Khanfir refused to throw in the towel, suggesting they are still in with a chance to go through.

“We have lost to a big team. We made two mistakes and they punished us. At 2-1, it is still an open game, we have to work hard and win the game in Tanzania,” Khanfir said.

“Both mistakes were avoidable, but that is what you get when you have young players, we have a lot of work to do with this team, but I am confident that we can do much better,” the Tunisian tactician added.

Goals from Juma Abdul and Thaban Kamusoko set Pluijm’s charges up for a smooth passage into the next round at the expense of the Rwandan military side. The Mainland champions are targeting to reach the group stage of the champions league this season. They reached the group stage in 1998 and the quarter finals in 1969/70.

This was the second time APR and Yanga meet in a major competition since 1996 when APR eliminated Yanga in the African Cup of Champions Clubs, which was later changed to CAF Champions League, after winning 3-1.

The second leg will be played next weekend at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam with the winner of this tie over the two legs facing Egyptian giants Al Ahly or Angola’s Recreativo do Libolo in the second round.