CAF assigns Benin referee to officiate Yanga-Mazembe tie
What you need to know:
- With only two matches played so far, the stakes are high for Yanga, who sit at the bottom of Group A without any points after consecutive losses while TP Mazembe are third with one point.
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania's envoys in the CAF Champions League, Young Africans (Yanga), are set to depart tomorrow for Lubumbashi in DR Congo with Benin referee Djindo Louis Houngnandande appointed by CAF to officiate their crucial match against TP Mazembe.
The encounter, scheduled for this Saturday at 4pm East African time at Stade TP Mazembe, is vital for both teams to keep their hopes of advancing alive to the knockout stage of the competition.
With only two matches played so far, the stakes are high for Yanga, who sit at the bottom of Group A without any points after consecutive losses while TP Mazembe are third with one point.
At the top of the group are Al Hilal Omdurman of Sudan with six points, while MC Alger of Algeria are second with four points.
Yanga's journey to Lubumbashi will start at 11am aboard an Air Tanzania (ATCL) flight, with the entire squad making the trip.
A positive development for the team is the return of four key players: Khalid Aucho, Chadrack Boka, Clement Mzize, and Dickson Job. Their inclusion will strengthen the squad as they strive to secure their first win of the group stage.
The match will be officiated by Djindo Louis Houngnandande, marking his second assignment in the CAF Champions League.
His first match was on November 26, when he officiated the clash between Egypt’s Pyramids FC and Angola’s Grupo Desportivo Sagrada Esperança in Cairo, where Pyramids won convincingly 5-1.
In that encounter, Houngnandande issued three yellow cards. He has also officiated three Africa Cup of Nations matches, issuing a total of 14 yellow cards, which brings his cumulative tally in major competitions to 17 yellow cards.
Yanga's upcoming match against TP Mazembe is a significant test for the team, with both sides desperate for points to stay in contention for qualification.
Victory for Yanga will not only boost their position in the group, but also will serve as a morale booster for the players and fans as they navigate the challenging competition.
The Jangwani-based team’s performance on Saturday is crucial to determine their path forward in this prestigious tournament.
