CAF scheduling a headache for Yanga' Gamondi
Young Africans (Yanga) head coach Miguel Gamondi in action during a past match. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- Yanga will face CBE on September 14 at the Addis Ababa Stadium at 6 pm, with the return leg set for September 21 at the Azam Complex, also at 6pm.
Dar es Salaam. Young Africans (Yanga) head coach Miguel Gamondi is facing a challenging task in preparing his team for their upcoming CAF Champions League match against Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) due to the absence of 13 key players.
Yanga will face CBE on September 14 at the Addis Ababa Stadium at 6 pm, with the return leg set for September 21 at the Azam Complex, also at 6pm.
Gamondi’s concerns stem from the fact that seven of his players are currently with the Tanzania national football team (Taifa Stars), while six others have joined various national teams for the Morocco 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
The players involved in national duty include Aboutwalib Mshery, Ibrahim Hamad Bacca, Bakari Mwamnyeto, Dickson Kibabage, Mudathir Yahaya, and Clement Mzize, all of whom are with Taifa Stars.
Additionally, Clatous Chama and Kennedy Musonda have joined Zambia’s Chipolopolo, Khalid Aucho is with Uganda, Duke Abuya is playing for Kenya, and Djigui Diarra is representing Mali.
The list also includes Stephane Aziz Ki, currently with Burkina Faso, and Prince Dube, who has joined the Zimbabwe national football team.
Gamondi expressed concern over the tight scheduling of the matches, with all national teams set to play two AFCON qualifiers between September 4 and 10, while the CAF Champions League match is scheduled just four days later.
This overlap could lead to fatigue and insufficient preparation time for the Yanga players.
“Most of my players will be back 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, which places a FIFA international break right before CAF inter-club competitions. “It is not good for CAF to organize a FIFA break followed by CAF inter-club competitions because players travel a lot with their national teams.
This situation is affecting not just us, but also many other clubs like Mamelodi Sundowns, who have also contributed a significant number of players to their national teams,” he added.
Despite the 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.
