Aziz Ki, Chama score as Yanga qualify for CAF Champions’ League group stage with a bang
Young Africans (Yanga) players celebrate after scoring against Commercial Bank of Ethiopia during the CAF Champions League second preliminary round match at the New Amaan Complex September 21, 2024. Yanga won 6-0. PHOTO | COURTESY
What you need to know:
- Yanga advanced to the group stage with an aggregate score of 7-0, following their 1-0 victory in the first leg match played one week ago at Addis Ababa’s National Stadium.
Dar es Salaam. Two goals by Stephane Aziz Ki, along with goals from Clatous Chama, Clement Mzize, Mudathir Yahya, and Duke Abuya for Young Africans (Yanga) against the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE), were enough for the Tanzanian team to qualify for the group stage of the CAF Champions League for the second consecutive time.
The match was held at the New Amaan Complex today, September 21, 2024, and Yanga join other teams that qualified for the stage, namely CR Belouizdad (Algeria), TP Mazembe, AS Maniema (DRC Congo), Al Ahly and Pyramids (Egypt), Esperance (Tunisia), and Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates (South Africa).
Yanga advanced to the group stage with an aggregate score of 7-0, following their 1-0 victory in the first leg match played one week ago at Addis Ababa’s National Stadium.
Aziz Ki, who did not start the match, scored in the 74th minute with a powerful shot just outside the danger zone, capitalizing on a rebound from CBE’s defender after a nice move and cross from Yanga’s overlapping left-back, Shadrack Boka.
The Burkinabe attacking midfielder scored his second goal and Yanga’s sixth in added time (90+2) with another powerful shot from a few metres outside the penalty area.
Chama was the first to score in the encounter, netting in the 35th minute. He beat CBE’s goalkeeper, Firew Alemayehu, and placed the ball into the net.
Also on Yanga’s scoresheet was Clement Mzize, who scored in the 46th minute after beating CBE goalkeeper, Mudathir Yahya in the 87th minute, and Duke Abuya in added time (90+1).
Yanga dominated the encounter from the start, creating numerous scoring chances, although some were wasted by their players.
CBE played well in the first 25 minutes and managed to challenge Yanga with their tight marking while attacking through counterattacks.
Comments from Gamondi
Yanga’s head coach, Miguel Gamondi, commended his players for qualifying for the group stage of the competition.
Gamondi, who is Argentine, said the players had shown a high level of commitment and delivered their best performance.
“The most important thing for me is reaching our target. My players have achieved what Yanga’s fans, members, leaders, and other stakeholders wanted in this competition.
This is a milestone for the club as we’ve managed to reach the group stage for the second time in a row,” said Gamondi.
Records
Yanga's major achievement is qualifying for the group stage for the third time in the competition since its establishment in 1998 when they first reached the quarterfinals after recording an 8-3 aggregate score against another Ethiopian team.
Yanga secured a 2-2 draw against Coffee in Addis Ababa and later won 6-1 at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium (now Uhuru Stadium).
Yanga took 25 years to reach this stage again, having done so in the 2023/2024 edition. In this edition, Yanga scored 17 goals without conceding any from the first preliminary round against Burundi’s Vital’O, winning 4-0 in the first leg and 6-0 in the second leg.
Revenue
Yanga were awarded Sh30 million by President Samia Suluhu Hassan for winning the match.
Yanga have now pocketed Sh85 million through President Samia’s initiative to motivate players to perform well in international matches.The initiative is known as ‘Bao la Mama.’
Yanga are also assured of pocketing USD 700,000 (over Sh1.8 billion) from CAF after qualifying for the group stage.
