Yanga searches for second win in 2022/23 CAF CC, hosts AS Real Bamako

08Mar 2023
Michael Mwebe
Dar es Salaam
Sport
The Guardian
Yanga searches for second win in 2022/23 CAF CC, hosts AS Real Bamako

A lot is at stake for Tanzania’s Yanga head coach, Nasreddine Nabi, and his men as they host Mali’s AS Real Bamako on matchday 4 of Group D of the 2022/23 CAF Confederation Cup at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam. Both teams played to a 1-1 draw a week ago in Mali.

Tanzania's Yanga winger, Tuisila Kisinda (L), negotiates his way past Mali's AS Real Bamako right-back, Souleymane Coulibaly, during the 2022/23 CAF Confederation Cup Group D tie which took place at Stade du 26 Mars in Bamako, Mali on February 19. The game ended in a 1-1 draw. PHOTO: COURTESY OF YANGA

This is a must-win fixture for Yanga if they want to advance to the next round of the second tier of continental tournaments.

They must ensure they take three points from this encounter otherwise they will heap huge pressure on themselves to take maximum points from their final two matches as qualification may fall out of their own hands.

Yanga has taken four points from their opening three games in Group D of the 2022/23 CAF Confederation Cup.

They opened their campaign with a 2-0 loss away to Tunisia’s US Monastir before bouncing back with a 3-1 home victory over DR Congo’s TP Mazembe.

An injury-time equalizer by AS Real Bamako denied Yanga maximum points in Bamako last week to complicate the Group D standing.

Nabi’s men are positioned second in Group D, three points behind US Monastir who will host TP Mazembe in the other Group D match today.

Third-placed TP Mazembe has recorded three points and AS Real Bamako is last in the group with two points. As it stands all teams still retain a chance to progress to the knockout stage.

This sets up a situation where Yanga more or less needs to win this week.

Halfway through the Group Stage, three points would go a long way in positioning the Tanzanian club for a historic quarterfinal ticket.

Considering the quality the team possesses, the country's soccer fanatics can expect the host to dominate this game with the support of the home crowd.

This is easier said than done but, respectfully, this should be one of the more favourable fixtures in the group stage and this is the time to finally come to life.

The primary objective for Nabi is to win this game at any cost. The performance will have to be a step up from the reverse fixture, but the building blocks are certainly there.

Mudathir Yahya, Stephane Aziz Ki, and Bakari Mwamnyeto each received a yellow card previously, therefore they will have to be cautious in this fixture.

AS Real Bamako was initially primed to be the group whipping boys but draws in ties against US Monastir and Yanga have shown they can compete.

While the Mali club did not generate a ton of scoring chances at home, another draw would keep Group D completely up in the air, which is exactly what this side would want to see while Yanga would want to avoid.

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