Gonçalves era kicks off in style as Yanga beat Mtibwa
Young Africans (Yanga) striker Prince Dube (right) attempts to get past a Mtibwa Sugar defender during their Tanzania Mainland Premier League match at the KMC Complex yesterday. Yanga won 2-0.PHOTO/COURTESY
The win lifted Yanga to fourth place in the league standings with seven points from three matches, while Mtibwa Sugar dropped to 10th place with five points from five games
Dar es Salaam. Defending champions Young Africans (Yanga SC) marked their return to the Tanzania Mainland Premier League in emphatic fashion after securing a 2-0 victory over Mtibwa Sugar at the KMC Complex in Kinondoni yesterday.
The result not only restored Yanga’s confidence but also served as a strong statement under their new technical bench led by Portuguese head coach Pedro Gonçalves and his assistant Filipe Pedro, who were taking charge for the first time following the mutual parting of ways with former coach Romain Folz.
Yanga took control of the match early, dominating possession and creating several clear scoring opportunities.
Their persistence paid off in the 39th minute when Mohamed “Tshabalala” Hussein unleashed a thunderous long-range strike after receiving a precise pass from Duke Abuya, leaving Mtibwa goalkeeper with no chance.
In the 83rd minute, Celestin Acua sealed the victory with another spectacular long-range effort, extending Yanga’s lead and confirming their superiority in the contest. Hussein’s overall performance earned him the Man of the Match award.
The win lifted Yanga to fourth place in the league standings with seven points from three matches, while Mtibwa Sugar dropped to 10th place with five points from five games.
Despite the win, Yanga were guilty of wasting numerous scoring chances, with forward Prince Dube among those who missed clear opportunities that could have made the scoreline more convincing.
Speaking after the game, Yanga assistant coach Patrick Mabedi praised his players for their fighting spirit and positive response under the new technical leadership but acknowledged that work still needs to be done, particularly in attack.
“We are happy with the result, but we must improve our efficiency in front of goal. The players created many chances but failed to convert most of them. We’ll continue working on our finishing and overall sharpness in the striking force,” said Mabedi.
On the opposite bench, Mtibwa Sugar head coach Awadh Juma admitted that his team made several costly mistakes which Yanga exploited effectively.
“We gave them too much space and failed to maintain our defensive structure. The players lost concentration at key moments, and that made the difference,” Juma said, promising to correct the errors ahead of their next fixture.
