Yanga, Mashujaa clash today

KIGOMA: YOUNG Africans will face Mashujaa today in a Mainland Premier League match at Lake Tanganyika Stadium in Kigoma.

Yanga aim to extend their dominance, having won all three previous encounters with Mashujaa.

However, Mashujaa are determined to break the trend, despite failing to secure a win or draw in those three games. While Yanga emerged victorious in tight matches—winning 3-2 last December and 1-0 last May—Mashujaa hope to turn the tide.

Ahead of the match, both coaches made statements, with Yanga’s Coach, Miloud Hamdi hopeful that all chances are in their favour, while Mashujaa’s Coach, Mohamed Abdallah, underscoring that the match would be difficult, but they are certain that they will achieve positive result.

Coach Hamdi underlined the need for caution, acknowledging the tough competition they face in every match.

“We respect this club; they play with quality and have many talented players. They have the potential to perform even better in the league. As Yanga, we understand that every team is determined to do whatever it takes to beat us.

“Our players understand this and we must give our all, putting in a lot of effort to win this game.” Hamdi said.

He also mentioned that he has made tactical adjustments based on his observations of the players and will continue making changes to improve the team’s overall strength.

“It’s good to have five days before this game; it’s a great opportunity for me to understand my players better. I have had time to make technical adjustments in training, tweaking my approach slightly. It’s not easy to change everything at once, as players already have their playing habits, so I have to be patient and work gradually,” he explained.

Mashujaa’s Head Coach Abdallah, expressed confidence that his side is wellprepared, despite facing strong opponents.

“Young Africans are a great team with excellent players, but we also have talented players. We will ensure that we give our best to get a positive result,” Abdallah said.

The Mashujaa coach stressed the importance of securing three points to keep their hopes of a higher league position alive.

“Our goal is to do well and secure the three crucial points. We also ask our fans to come out in large numbers and support us,” he added.

As things stand, Yanga are at the top of the league standings with 52 points from 20 outings, closely followed by their arch-rivals Simba, who have 50 points from 19 games. Mashujaa, on the other hand, are in seventh place with 23 points from 20 matches.