THE final piece of jigsaw in the Azam Sports Federation Cup (ASFC) semi-finals will be completed today when holders Young Africans square up against Prisons in the fourth quarter- final tie at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
Fresh from being eliminated from CAF Confederation Cup last weekend, Young Africans will be looking for a solace domestically with a place in the last four of the reinvented competition at stake. Yanga’s continental expedition ended with a 4-1 aggregate defeat at the hands of Algerian side MC Alger, after crashing to 4-0 in the second leg tie in Algiers last Saturday.
The Premier League champions, who won 1-0 during the first leg held in Dar es Salaam, cannot afford to dwell on their Confederation Cup exit to MC Alger in their quest for domestic double, Premier League and ASFC.
George Lwandamina’s charges will be hoping for a positive return to domestic actions after the Algiers debacle, which cruelly halted their quest for the lucrative group stage of CAF Confederation Cup.
A win today will help heal the wounds and give the club supporters something to cheer about after a week in which they have subjected to jibes from their rivals.
All in all Yanga cannot afford to lose today as not only would the yellow-and-green donning side surrender their ASFC title, but also throw away a genuine chance to return to continental football next year.
A defeat will only rub a salt into their wound. In today’s game, Yanga will have to do without the services of two key players, Togolese central defender Vincent Bossou and Zimbabwean striker Donald Ngoma. According to Yanga assistant coach Juma Mwambusi, while Ngoma is nursing injuries, solid-rock defender Bossou is sick.
Mwambusi, however, remains positive that his squad will perform and urged their supporters to get over their Confederation Cup disappointment and rally behind the team today.
Mwambusi warned his former team, Prisons, that Yanga are taking the match seriously given the winner of the tournament represent the country in CAF Confederation Cup. The winner of today’s match will join the three sides namely; Simba, Azam and Mbao, which have already sealed their place in the semi- finals.
The draw for the semis will be conducted early next week. But Yanga should brace for a tough encounter against Prisons, who are desperate to upset the Dar es Salaam giants.
Good news for Yanga fans is that the club has pardoned its Zambian striker Aubrey Chirwa who refused to travel with his team to Algiers demanding his salaries payment, after he apologised to the club leadership for his action.
Chirwa is back in the squad and may start upfront against Prisons in the absence of Ngoma. The club’s move sought to avoid any distraction ahead of the crucial Federation Cup tie.
This year’s FA Cup tournament involved a total of 86 teams from the top flight league, First Division League (FDL) and Second Division League (SDL).
The eventual champions will bag in 50m/- alongside a ticket to represent the country in the CAF Confederation Cup next year.
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