Yanga, Simba ready for CAF Champions League matches

Dar es Salaam. Traditional giants Young Africans (Yanga) and Simba departed yesterday for Rwanda and Zambia, ready to play their first-leg encounter in the CAF Champions League.

The two teams will be in action tomorrow, whereby Yanga will face El Merreikh of Sudan at Pelé Stadium in Kigali and Simba will meet Power Dynamos at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.

The two matches have been scheduled to start at 4pm.

As Yanga will miss the service of their captain, Bakari Mwamnyeto, due to family matters, Simba will miss the services of three players, namely Aubin Kramo, Aishi Manula, and Ahmed Feruz.

Manula has been left due to his fitness level as he has just joined the team after a long injury, and Kramo is also nursing his injury. Feruz did not travel due to technical matters.

The team’s head coach, Roberto Oliveira Gonçalves do Carmo, alias Robertinho, said they are going to prove their worth in the encounter despite facing a tough assignment.

He said his players are in good form and are ready to deliver their best in the match so that it will be an easy job in the return leg to be played next week.

“I expect a tough match as we are going to play the team that we met in the new season special match launch (Simba Day) and won 2-0. It will be revenge as we are playing away,” said Robertinho.

Meanwhile, the first legs of the CAF Champions League second preliminary round resume today as clubs gear themselves up to fight for a place in the group stages of Africa’s premier club competition.

Last season’s edition of the competition drew a lot of attention, both across the continent and globally, thanks to the highly competitive and ever-growing standard of the competition.

Taking a look at the fixtures taking place this weekend, 2016 champions Mamelodi Sundowns kick things off with a trip to Burundi to face Bumamuru FC in the only fixture scheduled for today.

A feast of African football awaits tomorrow, with a number of fixtures lined up across the continent.

In Tunisia, the Etoile Sportive du Sahel play host to Morocco’s AS FAR in a tough north African duel.

On Sunday, the 2013 runners-up, Orlando Pirates, travel to neighboring Botswana to face Jwaneng Galaxy in what could be a tricky encounter for the South Africans against a spirited Galaxy side out to cause an upset.

Former champions and last season’s runners-up, Wydad Athletic Club, travel to Conakry, Guinea, to face Hafia FC, who will be looking to get a result at home before traveling up north.

In Libya, Al Ahly Benghazi welcomes Ivorian powerhouse Asec Mimosas, who are looking at reclaiming their number one spot on the continent after last lifting the continental title in 1998. 

The first leg rounds of the second preliminary stage conclude with an interesting tie between current champions Al Ahly, who will be fresh from the CAF Super Cup, and Saint George in Ethiopia.