Gamondi explains plan for Yanga’s rotation

The Tanzanian club, also known as Yanga, had been expected to line up with their strongest possible side on paper as they looked to kill the 2023/24 CAF Champions League First Preliminary round first leg tie against the Djibouti team, but Gamondi threw a curveball.

With two changes from the Community Shield penalty shootout loss to Simba SC, Yanga saw Job and Aziz Ki come in as Ibrahim Abdullah ‘Bacca’ and winger Jesus Moloko dropped out.

For Job, the game brought a first start of the season, with the center-back’s inclusion ending a run of two consecutive games with a Bakari Mwamnyeto and Bacca pairing.

The NBC Premier League champions are currently on a stretch of four games in 10 days, and, speaking in his post-match press conference, Gamondi explained why he opted to play Job ahead of Bacca and hinted that more changes are to come.

The Argentine disclosed: “In Tanga, the pitch wasn’t good to play Dickson Job, and I knew Azam FC and Simba SC have big strikers and, for that, Bacca is a better stopper and stronger and more adaptable to the pitch.”

“Today, I thought we need to keep the ball down, and technically Job is a very good player,” he noted.

Gamondi said: “I have four defenders who are on the same level, Gift, Bakari, Job, and Bacca. I need to decide on two to play and I will try to rotate depending on the opponents... we have four games in 10 days and we have enough quality to rotate.”

The gaffer seemed to have settled on a favoured starting XI. The starting back four looks strong with Joyce Lomalisa and Kouassi Attohoula Yao on either side of Mwamnyeto and Bacca, with Djigui Diarra the obvious choice in goal.

Mwamnyeto has started every game while Bacca and Job have swapped the bench. That has left new signing Gift Fred, who is yet to be involved in a competitive game so far, as the fifth choice.

The Ugandan center-back was only involved as a second-half substitute in the pre-season friendly against South Africa’s Kaizer Chiefs in Dar es Salaam last month.

Khalid Aucho, Max Nzengeli, and Mudathir Yahya appear untouchable in midfield, Kennedy Musonda and Clement Mzize look like the preferred pair up front, leaving Aziz Ki, Mahlatsi Makudubela 'Skudu', and Farid Mussa fighting for the remaining positions.

Gamondi’s predecessor, Nasreddine Nabi did a brilliant job of ensuring Yanga’s fringe players feel involved in their NBC Premier League and Azam Sports Federation Cup triumphs, as well as the historic CAF Confederation Cup final run in the last campaign.