Dube breaks Yanga’s group stage jinx with historic Caf Cup winner
Yanga players Duke Abuya (left), Prince Dube and Dickson Job celebrate after Dube’s goal against AS FAR at the New Amaan Complex in Zanzibar on Saturday. Yanga won the match 1-0.PHOTO/COURTESY
His match-winning strike not only delivered Yanga’s first-ever victory in a group-stage opener of any CAF competition but also revived the club’s continental ambitions with renewed belief and momentum.
Dar es Salaam. Young Africans (Yanga) striker Prince Dube has etched his name into the club’s history books after scoring the decisive goal that finally broke the team’s long-standing jinx in opening matches of the CAF Champions’ League group stage.
His match-winning strike not only delivered Yanga’s first-ever victory in a group-stage opener of any CAF competition but also revived the club’s continental ambitions with renewed belief and momentum.
The Zimbabwean forward struck in the second half to secure a crucial 1–0 win in Group B, ending years of frustration for the Tanzanian giants, who had never previously opened a CAF group campaign with a victory.
For a club of Yanga’s stature with decades of domestic success and multiple continental appearances, the inability to win the first match had become a psychological barrier.
Dube’s clinical finish shattered that barrier in emphatic fashion.
Beyond its historic importance for the club, the goal carried major personal significance for Dube.
It marked only his second CAF Champions League goal since December 14, 2024, when he scored a dramatic injury-time equaliser away to TP Mazembe in Lubumbashi.
That strike, which rescued a vital point for Yanga, had been his last in the competition before this weekend’s breakthrough.
In total, Dube needed 343 days to register his next CAF Champions League goal, a period marked by injuries, tactical adjustments, and intense competition for places in Yanga’s attack. His perseverance during that stretch, combined with the guidance of head coach Pedro Gonçalves, paid off.
Gonçalves himself also set a new record, achieving a win in his CAF continental club competition debut as a head coach. Dube’s scoring journey in CAF competitions stretches back to 2024, when he made a strong impression in the preliminary rounds.
He struck twice against Vital’O of Burundi that season, scoring in both legs of Yanga’s emphatic victories. In the first leg on August 17, 2024, he contributed to a commanding 4–0 win in Dar es Salaam.
A week later, on August 24, he found the net again as Yanga demolished Vital’O 6–0 in Bujumbura. Those two goals marked his introduction as a reliable scorer on the continent.
With his latest strike, Dube has now scored four times for Yanga in CAF Champions League football since joining the club.
His ability to deliver in high-pressure moments has helped redefine Yanga’s presence in Africa’s premier club competition.
