The three new stars signed by Yanga during this mid-season transfer window can be said to have made a positive start to their duties with the Wananchi, as all featured in Yanga’s 3–0 victory over KVZ in their opening Mapinduzi Cup match.
Striker Emmanuel Mwanengo scored one of Yanga’s goals in the match, playing the full 90 minutes, while Mohamed Damaro Camara “Ngosha” came on in the 61st minute to replace Duke Abuya, and Marouf Tchakei took the place of Ecua Celestin.
In addition to scoring, Mwanengo displayed composure and strong chemistry with his teammates.
Overall, across his 90 minutes on the pitch, only one of his passes was misplaced, while 21 reached their targets, the majority of them short passes.
He took one shot from outside the box and contested one aerial ball, although his header did not hit the target.
Despite playing as the main striker, Mwanengo often dropped deep to collect the ball from teammates, thanks to his ability to operate in midfield areas.
On the other hand, Damaro, who replaced Duke Abuya—the team captain in that match—maintained great calm and control in the midfield.
Tchakei also put in a solid performance during the few minutes he played, something that pleased Yanga head coach Pedro Goncalves, although he emphasized that the players will still need time.
“I am happy because some players played for the first time and performed well, including two from the youth team: Ninju (Abubakar Othuman) and George (Mzungu). Also Damaro, Tchakei, and Mwanengo. They all did well. I liked what I saw.”
“Mwanengo has the profile to play as a winger, which is very good because it is natural for him to learn. But he can also play as a striker in a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 system. He has good skills.”
“For this match, I gave him specific objectives, and we are progressing step by step. Overall, I am satisfied with his performance,” said Pedro after the full 90 minutes.
