Ligi Kuu Bara: Yanga return to winning ways in league play

Young Africans (Yanga) returned to domestic league action with a 2-0 victory over Mtibwa Sugar in Ligi Kuu Bara action on Tuesday.

Left back Mohamed Hussein’s long range effort gave the reigning Tanzanian club champions the lead close to halftime before substitute Celstin Ecua confirmed the victory with a late goal. Young Africans now have seven points from three matches in the early stages of their league campaign.

It has been a chaotic couple of weeks for the Citizens since a 0-0 draw at Mbeya City at the end of September. A CAF Champions League qualifying stage first leg defeat to Malawi’s Silver Strikers prompted the end of coach Romain Folz’s tenure.

Under caretaker coach Patrick Mabedi, the club bounced back with a second leg victory to qualify for the Champions League group stage and new coach Pedro Gonçalves, formerly with the Angola national team, was in the dugout for his Yanga coaching debut on Tuesday. Mabedi will continue with the club, returning to an assistant role moving forward.

League action continues for the champions, who will face Tanzania Prisons on Saturday before hosting Kinondoni Municipal Council next Tuesday.

Tanzania’s other three participants in CAF club competitions will return to league action on Wednesday. Simba SC travel to face Tabora United while Azam FC and Singida Black Stars, who both qualified for the CAF Confederation Cup group stage, will face off in Wednesday’s later match.