Gamondi bemoans grueling Mapinduzi Cup schedule following Yanga’s

He highlighted the demanding Mapinduzi Cup schedule which has had matches played closely together, expressing concern about the players’ ability to rest and recover adequately.

Gamondi stressed the impact of daily matches on players, explaining the difficulties players face without sufficient time for either rest or recovery.

He argued that the tight schedule poses a greater challenge than the Premier League, particularly impacting players’ well-being.

Gamondi said: “Life in this competition is not easy due to the tight schedule, coaches and players can understand the difficulty, as it requires playing daily matches- with fans eager for victories.”

The Argentinian gaffer pointed out that the constant pressure to perform for the fans makes these matches more challenging than those in the NBC Premier League.

He highlighted the lack of adequate rest for players, affecting their physical condition even in the absence of either major injuries or significant lineup changes.

“Coaches also face challenges in preparing for opponents due to limited time,” Gamondi explained.

Despite these challenges, he expressed satisfaction with recent good results posted by the club, alias Yanga, in the demanding matches.

Yanga’s 3-1 defeat to Rwanda’s APR led to the Tanzanian club's elimination from the competition. The loss resulted in taunts from supporters of long-time rival Simba SC that have claimed Yanga avoided facing their outfit.

Following the last-eight phase win, APR is set to play against defending champion, Zanzibar's Mlandege FC, in the semi-finals scheduled for Wednesday.

Mlandege FC had advanced to the phase after securing a win over fellow Zanzibar outfit- KVZ FC- in a penalty shootout of the last-eight stage tie.

During the match, Yanga took the lead with Jesus Moloko’s goal in the 23rd minute, but APR equalized before halftime via Soulei Sanda’s goal. In the second half, Victor Mbaoma scored a penalty for APR, and Sharaf Shaiboub secured a third goal, sealing Yanga’s defeat.