Tanzanian giants Yanga set foot in Turkey on Sunday for a training camp ahead of their first Caf Confederation Cup group stage tie agains...
Tanzanian giants Yanga set foot in Turkey on Sunday for a training camp ahead of their first Caf Confederation Cup group stage tie against MO Bejaia on June 19 in Algeria.
The recently crowned Vodacom League and Federation Cup champions have now turned their focus to the continental assignment in a bid to write history by making it to the final, a target they deem achievable.
However, drawn in Group A along with the reigning Caf Champions League winners TP Mazembe who were bundled out of the premier club competition by Wydad Casablanca and Medeama of Ghana, Yanga face a tough task ahead.
“We are aware of the challenge ahead. Against Bejaia, we shall be facing a top African sideand we want to give ourselves a chance to register a positive result,” explained midfielder Haruna Niyonzima.
“As always we shall work together as a team and maintain focus. If we can get at least a point in Algeria if we fail to get three then that will motivate us to prepare for the game against TP Mazembe.”
Yanga head coach Hans van Pluijm is not taking anything for granted and will be hoping that his players maximize their stay in Turkey to get away from all the destructions in the Tanzanian capital by fully focusing on the daunting assignment.
The Dutch tactician has included the newly signed quartet of Andrew Vincent (Mtimbwa), Juma Mahadhi (Coastal Union), Benno Kakolanya (Prisons) and Hassan Kessy (Simba) as part of the travelling squad as they look to get familiar to the proceedings at the yellow and green machine.
A good start in the group stage will be key to Yanga’s ambitions of making it to the final four and indeed after their game against Bejaia, Pluijm’s side will return to Turkey to continue their training camp in preparation for yet another stern test in TP Mazembe in Dar es Salaam on June 28.
These two matches will go along way in determining the fate of East Africa’s only representatives in the continental competition at this stage.
Yanga saw off Cercle de Joachim of Mauritius 3-1 on aggregate in the Caf Champions League preliminary round to set up a date with Rwandan champions APR.
Pluijm’s side won 3-2 on aggregate against the army side in the first round to set up a date with eight time Caf Champions League winners Al Ahly of Egypt in the second round.
Both sides settled for a 1-all draw in the first leg in Dar es Salaam before Yanga conceded a stoppage time goal in the 95th minute in Cairo to exit the competition 3-2 on aggregate dropping to the Caf Confederation Cup play-off round where they defeated Angola’s Sagrada Esperanca 2-1 on aggregate to qualify for the group stage.
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