Yanga off with high hopes to excel

THE country’s representatives in the CAF Champions League, Young Africans SC are optimistic of good results when they face hosts APR on Sunday at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda.

It is the first leg of the tournament’s first round that will decide the team’s status ahead of the second leg in Dar es Salaam two weeks later. Yanga who left for Kigali yesterday afternoon by Rwanda Air in a 20-strongman squad ahead of the mission, will miss the service of their captain, Nadir Haroub who is yet to recover from injuries.

Apart from Haroub, the Dutch tactician Hans van der Pluijm side will also miss the service of Malimi Busungu and third choice goalkeeper Benedict Tinoco who have been left out from the contingent led by TFF official, Idd Mshangama and the Club’s vice-chairman, Clement Sanga.

Speaking with the ‘Daily News’ from Kigali a few minutes after the arrival, the team’s Head of Information and Communication, Jerry Muro, said players were high spirited to excel in the Sunday’s game by scoring many goals despite facing a homesupported side.

Muro said the team arrived safely ready to face their host and the players have promised to put a fight to ensure they walk out of the pitch victors. He said the good results in Kigali will place them in a good position in a return leg to be held on March 19 or 20 at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

Yanga, one of the top flight clubs in the local league, have been in a superb form that saw them excel in domestic competitions. Yanga are going to face APR after humiliating African Sports 5-0 in the domestic league game on Tuesday and will have their imports, Haruna Niyonzima and Mbuyu Twite playing against their former team.

The match will be officiated by Malawian referees Duncan Lengani, Clemence Kanduku and Jonizio Luwizi. Yanga and APR booked their place in the Champions League second round encounter after both teams made a breakthrough past the preliminary round.

In the opening round Yanga beat Mauritius side Cercle de Joachim by 3-0 aggregate goals while APR eliminated Swaziland’s Mbabane Swallows 4-2 on aggregate.

Meanwhile, the APR newly appointed Tunisia coach, Nizar Khanfir, has been quoted saying that is he targeting for a win in the Sunday’s against Yanga as among his top priorities after taking charge of the Rwandese army side is doing well in the Champions league.

The Tunisian, whose first assignment begins on Sunday against Yanga, disclosed that they have watched some of Yanga videos and they continued to watch them in the remaining matches before their game.

The winner of the two legged encounter will face the winner between Al Ahly of Egypt and Angola’s Recreativo do Libolo next month.