False start for Ramovic as Yanga lose CAF Champions League tie
Young Africans (Yanga) attacking midfielder Mudathir Yahya (left) vies for the ball with an Al Hilal Omdurman player during their first match of the CAF Champions League group stage at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam yesterday. Yanga lost 2-0. PHOTO | MICHAEL MATEMANGA
What you need to know:
- This is Yanga’s third consecutive defeat in two different competitions. It also marks a disappointing start for Yanga’s new tactician, Sead Ramovic, who replaced Miguel Gamondi after the team lost two consecutive Tanzania Mainland Premier League matches.
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s envoys in the CAF Champions League, Young Africans (Yanga), yesterday failed to capitalise on home advantage after they were defeated 2-0 by Sudan’s Al Hilal Omdurman at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
Al Hilal scored their goals through Adama Coulibaly in the 63rd minute, following a long pass from defender Altayeb Abaker, and Yasir Mozamil in the 90th minute after a well-placed pass from Abdelrazig Omer.
This is Yanga’s third consecutive defeat in two different competitions. It also marks a disappointing start for Yanga’s new tactician, Sead Ramovic, who replaced Miguel Gamondi after the team lost two consecutive Tanzania Mainland Premier League matches.
In their earlier defeats, Yanga lost 1-0 to Azam FC on November 2 and 3-1 to Tabora United on November 7, with both matches having been held at the Azam Complex.
The result leaves Yanga at the bottom of Group A without a point, while Al Hilal Omdurman lead the group with three points.
TP Mazembe and MC Alger are tied for second place, each with one point. Speaking after the match, Yanga head coach Ramovic promised to come back stronger, stating that setbacks are part of the game.
“We made mistakes, which is why we allowed them to score. I admit we lost at home, but there are still matches ahead, and I believe we will improve. We created many scoring chances, including Aziz Ki’s header, which was saved by Al Hilal’s goalkeeper, Issa Fofana, and Kennedy Musonda’s header that hit the crossbar. All in all, we are going back to the drawing board to rectify our mistakes as we prepare for our next league match on Saturday against Namungo FC,” said Ramovic.
For his part, Al Hilal Omdurman head coach Jean Florent Ikwange Ibenge praised his players for the victory while acknowledging Yanga as a strong team.
“In the first half, we allowed Yanga to play their game while we played ours. It was part of our strategy. In the second half, we anticipated that Yanga would continue to press, so we used counter-attacks that earned us two goals.
"It’s not about dominating but about converting chances and securing all three points,” said Ibenge.
