Yanga take on TRA United

ARUSHA: YOUNG Africans take on TRA United in a Mainland Premier League clash at Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium today, with both sides bracing for a tightly contested encounter.

Yanga head coach Pedro Gonçalves has warned his players to expect a high-tempo match against one of the league’s fastestimproving teams.

Speaking ahead of the fixture, Gonçalves pointed to the challenge of limited recovery time following last weekend’s demanding showdown against Azam FC at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.

“It will be a very intense and challenging match, especially with only two days of recovery,” he said, while acknowledging TRA United’s steady progress and longterm development project.

Yanga head into the match unbeaten this season, with 11 wins and three draws against Mbeya City, Simba SC and Azam FC, underlining their consistency at the top of the table with 36 points from 14 matches. TRA United sit 10th on 19 points.

However, the champions will be without several key players, including Clement Mzize, Laurindo Dilson, Chadrack Boka, Edmund John, Dickson Job and Ibrahim Abdullah, all sidelined through injury.

Even so, coach Pedro Gonçalves remains confident his side can cope with TRA United’s tactical discipline and composure under pressure.

TRA United head coach Etienne Ndayiragije believes his team’s full week of preparation could prove decisive against opponents coming off a physically taxing fixture.

“We are fully prepared, with all our players fit. It will be a tight contest, but based on our preparation and the players’ morale, we are confident of achieving a positive result,” he said.

TRA United come into the match on the back of consecutive victories, including a 4-1 win over Fountain Gate and a 2-0 triumph against Namungo FC.

Team captain Enock Jiha said the squad is ready to execute the game plan, while Yanga midfielder Emanuel Mwanengo stressed respect for the opponents but insisted the champions are determined to maintain their strong run.

“We respect TRA but we are motivated to deliver a strong performance,” Mwanengo said