Dube's late strike keeps Yanga's CAF Champions league hopes alive
What you need to know:
- To advance, Yanga must win all three of their remaining group-stage matches while hoping for unfavorable results for their group rivals
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania's representative in the CAF Champions League, Young Africans (Yanga), revived their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stage after securing a 1-1 draw against TP Mazembe at the Stade TP Mazembe in Lubumbashi, DR Congo, today, December 14, 2024.
TP Mazembe opened the scoring in the 41st minute through Cheick Fofana, who capitalized on an accurate cross from Johnson Radjabu.
However, Yanga managed to equalize in dramatic fashion during stoppage time. Prince Dube found the back of the net in the 90+4 minute, taking advantage of a rebound after TP Mazembe goalkeeper Alioune Faty failed to fully clear Clement Mzize’s shot.
The result keeps Yanga in contention for the next round, but their path remains challenging.
To advance, Yanga must win all three of their remaining group-stage matches while hoping for unfavorable results for their group rivals.
According to the fixture schedule, Yanga will host TP Mazembe on January 3, 2025, at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
They will then travel to Mauritania to face Al Hilal Omdurman on January 10, 2025, before concluding the group stage with a home match against MC Alger of Algeria on January 17, 2025.
Arithmetically, Yanga can collect up to 10 points if they win all their remaining matches, which would significantly boost their chance of progressing to the knockout stage.
As it stands, Group A is led by Al Hilal Omdurman of Sudan with six points after winning their first two matches.
MC Alger is in second place with four points, followed by TP Mazembe with two points. Yanga remains at the bottom of the table with a single point.
However, the group standings could change depending on the outcome of the match between MC Alger and Al Hilal Omdurman, which was scheduled to take place at the Ali La Pointe Stadium in Douera today, December 14, 2024, at 10am. East African Time.
Yanga's performance against TP Mazembe were commendable. They began the match on the front foot, launching several attacks that put the home team under pressure.
Despite their dominance, Yanga's players—Kennedy Musonda, Mudathir Yahya, and Pacome Zouzoua—missed clear scoring opportunities during the first half.
TP Mazembe gained control in the final 10 minutes of the first half and managed to capitalize on their momentum, taking the lead through Fofana.
The second half saw Yanga regain dominance as they pushed for an equalizer. Head coach Sead Ramovic made several tactical substitutions, which significantly improved the team's performance.
The persistence paid off in the dying moments of the match when Dube netted the equalizer, securing a vital point for the Tanzanian champions.
Yanga will now focus on preparing for their upcoming matches as they aim to keep their CAF Champions League campaign alive.