Aziz Ki, Dube, Chama to join Yanga camp ahead of CAF Cup in Ethiopia

Dar es Salaam. Three key players, Stephan Aziz Ki, Clatous Chama, and Prince Dube, will join their team, Young Africans (Yanga), in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, ahead of their CAF Champions League match against the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE).

Yanga will face CBE on September 14 at 6 pm at the Addis Ababa Stadium, with the return leg scheduled for September 21 at the Azam Complex, also at 6 pm.

The three players, along with ten others, are currently representing their national teams in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.

Aziz Ki is playing for Burkina Faso, Prince Dube is with Zimbabwe, and Chama is playing for Zambia’s national team, Chipolopolo.

Burkina Faso will host Malawi tomorrow at 10 pm East Africa Time at Stade du 26 Mars in Bamako, Mali.

Meanwhile, Dube and Zimbabwe will host Cameroon, and Chama will be in Zambia's squad hosting Sierra Leone at the Levy Mwanasawa Stadium in Ndola.

According to Yanga's schedule, the players will not return to Tanzania but will travel directly to Addis Ababa ahead of the CAF Champions League match.

This situation also affects six Yanga players with the Tanzania national team, Taifa Stars, who will be playing against Guinea tomorrow in Ivory Coast.

These players include Aboutwalib Mshery, Ibrahim Hamad Bacca, Bakari Mwamnyeto, Dickson Kibabage, Mudathir Yahaya, and Clement Mzize.

Other players facing similar challenges are first-choice goalkeeper Djigui Diarra (Mali), Khalid Aucho (Uganda), Kennedy Musonda (Zambia), and Duke Abuya (Kenya).

Due to travel constraints, these players will have only one or two days to train with Yanga in Addis Ababa.

Yanga's head coach, Miguel Gamondi, has expressed frustration over CAF's tight schedule, which he believes negatively impacts the team's preparation for the CAF Champions League.

He noted that all national teams are set to play two AFCON qualifiers between September 4 and 10, while the CAF Champions League match is scheduled just four days later, leading to potential fatigue and insufficient preparation time for the players.

“Most of my players will return with only three days to prepare for this very important match,” Gamondi said.

“We do not know much about CBE, but we must approach the game with great determination to achieve a positive result and finish the job at home.”

Gamondi criticized CAF's scheduling, stating that placing a FIFA international break right before CAF inter-club competitions is detrimental.

“This situation affects not just us, but also many other clubs, like Mamelodi Sundowns, who have also contributed many players to their national teams,” he added.

Despite these challenges, Gamondi remains focused on leading his team to success in the CAF Champions League, stressing the importance of mental and physical readiness to overcome any obstacles.