Yanga coach urges more sharpness

DAR ES SALAAM: YOUNG Africans registered a 3-0 victory over Pamba Jiji in their latest league fixture, but Head Coach Romain Folz expressed concern over his side’s performance in the opening half, citing a lack of sharpness and missed opportunities.

Despite dominating much of the early possession, Yanga failed to convert several chances until a late goal before the break gave them the lead. The second half saw a different approach, with two more goals securing the result.

“We started slowly and missed many chances in the first half,” said Coach Folz after the match.

“We scored just before the break, which helped a bit, but I wasn’t satisfied. During the break, we had to make some changes and correct what we observed. The players responded well and the result improved.”

Yanga’s midfielder, Maxi Nzengeli who was named Man of the Match, echoed the coach’s sentiments, pointing to changes in personnel and player chemistry as key factors.

“The first half wasn’t how we wanted to start,” he said.

“We had six players who don’t usually start, so the chemistry wasn’t there at the beginning but later things improved by time. I think the chemistry will develop as the season goes on.”

Pamba Jiji’s Head Coach, Francis Baraza, acknowledged Yanga’s control in the latter stages, but stood by his team’s early efforts. He pointed on fitness issues and defensive lapses as areas of concern, particularly in the final third of the game.

“In the first half, we stayed in the match and created some moments,” the Pamba Jiji coach noted.

He added: “But in the second half, our players started to struggle physically. Some lost focus and that allowed Yanga to find space. We also had problems with set pieces and crosses, which led to their second and third goals.”

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He further explained that his side was missing several key players due to injuries, which affected their rhythm.

“We had four regulars out with injuries, which made it harder. We’ve seen where the problems are and we’ll work to address them before the next match.”