The semi-final stage of the CAF Confederation Cup beckons with Tanzanian Premier League leaders Young Africans set to welcome South African side Marumo Gallants to the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar-es-Salaam for the first of the two-legged affair on Wednesday evening.
Yanga progressed to the last four last of the second-tier club competition by defeating Nigerian champions Rivers United 2-0 on aggregate. Marumo Gallants, on the other hand, defeated Egypt’s Pyramids 1-0 at home to progress as 2-1 aggregate winners.
Yanga began their Confederation Cup journey in Group D with a loss to Tunisian side US Monastir before handing two-time winners TP Mazembe a 3-1 defeat on matchday two.
They drew the first of their double-header against Real Bamako and won the second leg 2-0. They got their revenge on US Monastir before completing the double over Mazembe to finish atop the group with 13 points.
Gallants, on their part, were off to a great start in Group A where they picked up two straight wins against Libyan side Al Akhdar and Saint Eloi Lupopo of Congo.
They lost to USM Alger in their third game but bounced right back in the next match to get nine points out of a possible 12. The South Africans ended the group in first place with 12 points after picking up a win from their last two games.
The matchup between Yanga and Gallants is expected to provide many fans with breathtaking attacking football as both sides are known for their goalscoring. The Tanzanians boast of eleven goals from their first eight games while Gallants have 14 goals from the same number of games and were only shut out in one match.
The two teams have the joint-leading goalscorers in the competition with Gallants’ Ranga Chivaviro and Young Africans’ Fiston Kalala Mayele both on five goals.
Young Africans head into Wednesday’s encounter with a run of three wins and a draw from their last five games in all competitions, scoring nine goals, conceding two and keeping four clean sheets. In contrasting fortunes, Marumo Gallants are struggling in the South African Premier League as they sit 14th on the log with just one win in their last five games in all competitions which includes one loss and three draws.
The first leg of the CAF Confederation semi-final match between Young Africans and Marumo Gallants come up on Wednesday, May 10, at 2pm (WAT), with the second leg scheduled for the Dobsonville Stadium in South Africa next week.
