Yanga head coach Manqoba Mngqithi has revealed that his squad is fully prepared for the first-leg CAF Champions League qualifying match against Madagascar’s CFFA, with a place in the group stage at stake.
The match will be played tomorrow, Saturday, October 17, at Azam Complex in Chamazi, Dar es Salaam.
Yanga have gained the advantage of playing both matches at home after their opponents, CFFA, failed to find a stadium in Madagascar that meets CAF requirements and consequently agreed to play their home fixture in Tanzania.
Speaking after his squad completed training yesterday, Mngqithi said they understand the challenge ahead, stressing that there are no easy matches at this knockout stage of the competition.
Mngqithi warned against underestimating their opponents because of their discipline and tactical organisation, emphasising that his team must prepare thoroughly to secure positive results across both matches.
“Our focus right now is on the next two matches. We are facing CFFA, and they are not an easy team. They won their first match at home, even though they were far away from their home country of Madagascar.”
“If they were able to do that, they can also demonstrate their quality when they play here. This is not a team that gives up; they play with great discipline.”
“We need to prepare by taking their strengths into account and make sure we can break them down and force them into mistakes. Even when they play away, they have a different tactical plan. We need to win these two matches, while recognising that it will not be easy,” he said.
After facing difficulties in the previous round, when they had to wait until the second leg to secure a 2-1 aggregate victory over Gaborone United and advance, Yanga are determined to settle the tie early this time.
However, it is clear that the match will not be easy, as CFFA have also arrived determined to win and make history by qualifying for the group stage for the first time.
