Tanzania’s Young Africans ‘Yanga’ are expected depart for Angola on Monday (16 May 2016) will all eyes open to grasp their last chance in the 2nd 1/8th round second leg scheduled for Wednesday in the northern Angola province of Dundo.
Yanga will face Angolan side GD Sagrada Esparanca in the reverse and are buoyed by a 2-0 victory in the first leg at home two weeks ago.
The Dutch-born trainer of the newly crowned Tanzania league champions, Hans Van der Pluijm believes it is high time his side reached the group stage of a major continental club championship, for the first time since 1998.
Yanga will face Angolan side GD Sagrada Esparanca in the reverse and are buoyed by a 2-0 victory in the first leg at home two weeks ago.
The Dutch-born trainer of the newly crowned Tanzania league champions, Hans Van der Pluijm believes it is high time his side reached the group stage of a major continental club championship, for the first time since 1998.
“It is not my first time to send a team to quarter final in African competitions. Now, I believe its Yanga turn,” said Pluijm, who guided Ghanaian side Berekum Chelsea to the brink of a last four place in the CAF Champions League in 2012.
“We are not going there to defend our two goals. We are going to protect them and try to score more goals. Our target is to win and qualify,” he added.
The Tanzanian giants are inspired by their performance away from home, having found the back of the net in each of their away games at the previous rounds. Thy beat Cercle de Joachim of Mauritius 1-0 in Curepipe at the prelims, beat APR of Rwanda 2-1 in Kigali at the 1/16th round before losing to Egyptian giants Al Ahly 2-1 at the 1/8th round all in the CAF Champions League, before dropping to the second-tier competition.
Zimbabwean duo striker Donald Ngoma and playmaker Thaban Kamusoko are available after sitting out of the first leg due to suspension, and Pluijm is upbeat their presence serve a huge boost to his side.
“It is a good thing for us as the Angolans are not aware of their (Ngoma and Kamusoko) quality and I hope they will surprise them.”
After being crowned domestic champions at the weekend, midfielder Mbuyu Twite adds that they are fired up for the Esperanca test with their minds firmly on a continued run in the continental club championship.
“We have won the league at the right time; it will boost our morale ahead of the game. If they open spaces and try to attack, we will be in good position to win. In the first leg, they were defensive and it was difficult to score,” he added.
Meanwhile, Yanga will be without striker Malimi Busungu, who broke a rib during the first leg after colliding with an opposing defender.
Fixtures
Tuesday, 17 May 2016
Esperance (Tunisia) vs MO Bejaia (Algeria) (0-0)
Stade Gabesien (Tunisia) vs TP Mazembe (DR Congo) (0-1)
Wednesday, 18 May 2016
FUS Rabat (Morocco) vs Stade Malien (Mali) (0-0)
CF Mounana (Gabon) vs Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia) (0-2)
Misr Makkassa (Egypt) vs Ahly Tripoli (Libya) (0-0)
Sagrada Esperanca (Angola) vs Young Africans (Tanzania) (0-2)
Medeama (Ghana) vs Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) (1-3)
Kawkab (Morocco) vs El Merreikh (Sudan) (0-1)
“We are not going there to defend our two goals. We are going to protect them and try to score more goals. Our target is to win and qualify,” he added.
The Tanzanian giants are inspired by their performance away from home, having found the back of the net in each of their away games at the previous rounds. Thy beat Cercle de Joachim of Mauritius 1-0 in Curepipe at the prelims, beat APR of Rwanda 2-1 in Kigali at the 1/16th round before losing to Egyptian giants Al Ahly 2-1 at the 1/8th round all in the CAF Champions League, before dropping to the second-tier competition.
Zimbabwean duo striker Donald Ngoma and playmaker Thaban Kamusoko are available after sitting out of the first leg due to suspension, and Pluijm is upbeat their presence serve a huge boost to his side.
“It is a good thing for us as the Angolans are not aware of their (Ngoma and Kamusoko) quality and I hope they will surprise them.”
After being crowned domestic champions at the weekend, midfielder Mbuyu Twite adds that they are fired up for the Esperanca test with their minds firmly on a continued run in the continental club championship.
“We have won the league at the right time; it will boost our morale ahead of the game. If they open spaces and try to attack, we will be in good position to win. In the first leg, they were defensive and it was difficult to score,” he added.
Meanwhile, Yanga will be without striker Malimi Busungu, who broke a rib during the first leg after colliding with an opposing defender.
Fixtures
Tuesday, 17 May 2016
Esperance (Tunisia) vs MO Bejaia (Algeria) (0-0)
Stade Gabesien (Tunisia) vs TP Mazembe (DR Congo) (0-1)
Wednesday, 18 May 2016
FUS Rabat (Morocco) vs Stade Malien (Mali) (0-0)
CF Mounana (Gabon) vs Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia) (0-2)
Misr Makkassa (Egypt) vs Ahly Tripoli (Libya) (0-0)
Sagrada Esperanca (Angola) vs Young Africans (Tanzania) (0-2)
Medeama (Ghana) vs Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) (1-3)
Kawkab (Morocco) vs El Merreikh (Sudan) (0-1)
By: Cafonline.com
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