Mngqithi demands ruthlessness

DAR ES SALAAM: YOUNG Africans head coach Manqoba Mngqithi has identified decision-making in the final third as a key area requiring improvement as the envoys turn their attention to the CAF Champions’ League group stage.

Despite cruising to a 4-1 victory over Madagascar’s CFF Andoharanofotsy yesterday to complete an emphatic 8-1 aggregate triumph, Manqoba believes Yanga must sharpen their attacking execution if they are to compete effectively with Africa’s leading clubs.

Both legs were played at the Azam Complex in Dar es Salaam, with Yanga securing their group-stage ticket convincingly.

However, the commanding scoreline did not prevent the South African tactician from highlighting shortcomings in his side’s performance, particularly in the first half.

“We were second in everything,” Manqoba admitted, pointing to a performance that fell short of his expectations despite the eventual victory.

The coach was especially concerned by the mistakes his players continued to make in attacking positions, suggesting that wastefulness in the final third remains one of the team’s biggest weaknesses.

“Too many wrong mistakes again in the final third, which I think is our biggest Achilles’ heel,” he said.

Manqoba added that improving his players’ decisionmaking and execution in the attacking third would be a major focus of his work as Yanga prepare for the more demanding challenges ahead.

For a team targeting progression beyond the group stage, the coach knows that creating opportunities is not enough; players must also make the right decisions and execute them efficiently.

Nevertheless, Manqoba was pleased with the players’ overall achievement, insisting they deserved to advance after working hard to secure qualification.

Beyond the collective performance, the coach also praised young defender Ibrahim Kazimoto, who scored in the victory, backing him to develop into a player capable of attracting interest from clubs abroad.

Manqoba revealed that he first noticed Kazimoto’s potential while he was playing as a centre-back before identifying him as a natural fit for the rightback position.

“He has got great physical attributes, strong in the air, quick, which is not normal to have somebody who is powerful in the air but is also very explosive,” Mngqithi said.

However, he acknowledged that the youngster also needs to improve his decision-making, explaining that his eagerness sometimes leads him to run with the ball before completing the pass.

The coach believes Kazimoto’s defensive strength, oneon-one ability and attacking energy give him a promising future, adding that he sees the potential for the youngster to earn a place in the national team.

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With qualification secured, Mngqithi has set Yanga a target of at least 10 points in the group stage, which he believes could be enough to reach the quarterfinals.

He stressed that collecting points away from home while making the Azam Complex a difficult venue for visiting teams will be crucial to achieving that ambition.

“If we can make sure that away from home we win one at least, we have got a chance to even win two, depending on the opponents that we’ll get, and we make our home ground a slaughterhouse,” he said.