Pedro sees progress, consistency
DAR ES SALAAM: YOUNG Africans SC head coach Pedro Goncalves struck a calm yet confident note following his side’s latest performance, praising his players for their growing understanding of his philosophy, while stressing that attention must swiftly turn to the next challenge.
Pedro noted that the team is beginning to display clear signs of mental strength and tactical maturity, with both senior players and new arrivals fully embracing the club’s ideas. He pointed to improved cohesion and a clearer understanding of individual roles as key drivers behind the performance.
“The players are fully buying into our ideas now, and you can see it in their mentality, intensity and overall performance,” Pedro said.
“There is more cohesion, more clarity, and that is helping the team.” The Yanga tactician also drew attention to the demanding conditions under which the match was played, explaining that high temperatures affected the tempo for both sides, particularly after the early stages.
Despite the circumstances, he was pleased with how his players managed the game.
“Even when the tempo dropped because of the heat, we stayed focused, respected our roles and kept performing, regardless of the score,” he explained.
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Pedro emphasised that discipline and strict adherence to tactical responsibilities enabled Young Africans to maintain control and consistency throughout the match as an encouraging sign of a team growing in confidence and structure. He was also quick to credit the performance to a collective effort beyond the players on the pitch.
“This performance is the result of a collective effort from the players to the technical staff and the board and that’s why I’m very proud,” he said, highlighting the importance of unity and shared responsibility within the club.
However, the Yanga boss warned against complacency, reminding his squad that celebrations must be brief with a demanding schedule ahead. With a major test looming, Pedro stressed the need for humility and thorough preparation.
“We are happy, but the season is long and we keep our feet on the ground because on Friday we face one of the best teams in Africa,” he noted.
Pedro added that the team would return to work immediately, with an early training session scheduled as preparations begin for the next encounter.
For Young Africans, the message from their coach is clear: Progress is evident, confidence is rising, but consistency and hard work will ultimately define their season. Meanwhile, Mashujaa FC head coach Salum Mayanga admitted his side fully deserved their heavy defeat, conceding that the team fell well below its usual standards throughout the match. Mayanga acknowledged that Mashujaa struggled in all areas and were duly punished.
He declined to single out any specific department, insisting the shortcomings were evident across the entire team. “Today we lost by many goals because, quite simply, the whole team was not at its normal level,” Mayanga said. “The players were not themselves, and I cannot point to one area that was good or bad, we were poor in all three departments.” The Mashujaa coach further highlighted defensive lapses, midfield inefficiency and a lack of attacking threat as contributing factors to the disappointing outcome.
He described the display as their weakest since the start of the league campaign and called for calm as the team looks to regroup.
“Our defence has been our biggest problem since the league began, and the midfield and attack were also below our usual standards today,” he added. “It is a bad result and a bad performance, but what we need now is composure and a way to move forward.
