Dar es Salaam. Young Africans (Yanga) have received a timely morale boost ahead of their crucial CAF group-stage clash against Morocco’s ASFAR, after it was confirmed that Saturday’s encounter at Prince Moulay Stadium in Rabat will be played behind closed doors.
The match will go ahead without supporters due to a CAF sanction imposed on ASFAR, meaning the Moroccan side will host both JS Kabylie (JSK) and Yanga without the backing of their home crowd.
In North African football, where intimidating atmospheres often act as a “12th man”, the absence of fans is widely viewed as a major setback for the hosts and a potential advantage for visiting teams.
For Yanga, the news offers more than just relief, it provides a psychological lift at a stage of the competition where the margins are extremely thin and every point carries massive weight.
According to the current Group B standings, Al Ahly sit top with eight points from four matches, having recorded two wins and two draws while scoring eight goals and conceding three for a healthy goal difference of +5.
Behind them, the battle is extremely tight, with both Young Africans and ASFAR level on five points each after four matches.
Yanga are currently second, edging ASFAR into third place, despite both sides having identical records of one win, two draws and one defeat.
The difference comes down to goal difference, where ASFAR have a neutral 0 while Yanga have -1.
JS Kabylie remain bottom with two points after four games, having failed to win so far.
The table paints a clear picture: Al Ahly have created a small cushion at the top, but the fight for the remaining qualification spots is wide open.
With Yanga and ASFAR locked on five points, Saturday’s match in Rabat becomes a defining moment.
A win for Yanga would not only strengthen their grip in the top two, but could also create breathing space over their direct rivals. On the other hand, defeat would swing momentum back to ASFAR and could drag Yanga into a tense finish.
The closed-door setting may help Yanga settle quickly, communicate better on the pitch and avoid the intense pressure that often comes with away games in Morocco.
It could also allow their younger players to express themselves with fewer distractions, while the technical bench will have a clearer voice during key tactical moments.
However, Yanga will be cautious not to treat the sanction as a guarantee of success.
ASFAR remain a disciplined and dangerous side, and the hosts will be determined to respond strongly, especially with their qualification hopes hanging in the balance.
With the second half of the group stage now shaping into a high-stakes affair, Yanga know that a positive result in Rabat could be the difference between a historic qualification and a painful elimination.
In a group decided by fine details, the silence at Prince Moulay might just speak loudly in Yanga’s favour.
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