Yanga, Azam handed tricky FA Cup 2019 last eight ties

Dar es Salaam. Young Africans face a tricky Azam Sports Federation Cup last-eight clash after being drawn against gritty Alliance FC.

The Azam Sports Federation Cup – also known as the FA Cup – decides the country’s representative in the Africa Confederation Cup.

Azam FC will take on Kagera Sugar at the Kaitaba Stadium in Bukoba in the quarter-finals, which start on March 28, according to the fixtures released yesterday by Tanzania Football Federation (TFF).

For Yanga, it will be a return to the CCM Kirumba Stadium in Mwanza, where they laboured to squeeze a 1-0 win against Alliance in the Mainland Premier League match last week.

Yanga and Alliance have faced off twice this season. The Mwanza boys are making their first appearance in the Mainland Premier League.

In the first round of the league, Alliance succumbed to a painful 3-0 defeat at hands of the Jangwani Street soccer giants at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam, last year.

Yanga information officer Dismass Ten said yesterday that nothing will stop his team from progressing to the semi-finals at the expense of Alliance.

“We know that they (Alliance) play their hearts out when up against top teams, but we have what it takes to beat them,” Ten said when reached for comment on the FA Cup draw.

But Yanga should not expect an easy ride in the Mwanza match as Alliance rarely lose at their home ground – CCM Kirumba.

Other teams that are through to the quarter-finals are KMC, who will host African Lyon at the Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam, while Lipuli FC and Singida United will also face off at the same venue between March 28 and 31.

The winner between Lipuli and Singida will take on Alliance or Yanga in the FA Cup semi-finals.

If Kagera beat Azam FC, they will face the winner between KMC and African Lyon.