Yanga: Discipline, hunger drove us to CAF success

DAR ES SALAAM: YOUNG Africans SC assistant coach, Patrick Mabedi, has commended his players for their resilience and discipline after a 2–0 win over Silver Strikers of Malawi in Dar es Salaam on Saturday to qualify to the CAF Champions’ League group stage.

Yanga overturned a 1–0 deficit from the first leg in Lilongwe, advancing 2–1 on aggregate to reach the group stage for the third consecutive season, much to the delight of thousands of jubilant home supporters.

Speaking after the match, Mabedi praised the squad’s determination and focus following the difficult first-leg defeat.

He highlighted the importance of the early goal, which gave the team confidence and allowed them to control the game.

Yanga took control early in the match, with defender Dickson Job opening the scoring in the 6th minute, before Pacome Zouzoua doubled the lead in the 33rd minute, sending the home fans into celebration.

“We knew we didn’t perform well in the first match, so we had to put in extra effort. The players showed great character, discipline and hunger from the first whistle,” Mabedi said.

ALSO READ: Yanga hunt Silver in Malawi

“We worked hard in training to correct our mistakes from the first leg and the team followed the instructions well. The support from our fans was important. Their energy pushed the players to give their best.”

Yanga’s latest qualification marks another milestone for the club, which reached the quarter-finals of the competition in the 2023/2024 season.

However, last season they fell short of progressing beyond the group stage.

Mabedi added that the victory is a step forward, but stressed the need for the team to stay focused to see success beyond group stage.

“This win shows what we can achieve when we play as a unit. We now need to remain disciplined, continue improving and prepare for the challenges ahead.”

Silver Strikers’ coach Peter Mgangira reflected on the match, noting that conceding an early goal made the task difficult.

He also mentioned the team’s efforts in the game and the need to learn from the mistakes.

“The game was balanced and we had opportunities to attack, but we lost too many balls in midfield, which our opponents capitalised on. We must accept the result and work harder to avoid such errors in the future.”