The match will provide Yanga with an immediate opportunity to respond, while Simba will also be seeking a reaction after losing 1-0 to Kenya’s Police FC during their own 90th anniversary celebrations on Saturday
Dar es Salaam. Young Africans’ 91st anniversary celebrations ended on a disappointing note yesterday after Congolese side Les Aigles du Congo came from behind to beat the Tanzanian champions 2-1 at Uhuru Stadium.
The defeat provided a major setback to Yanga’s celebrations, which had attracted thousands of supporters to the stadium as the club officially unveiled its plans and squad for the 2026/27 season.
Les Aigles secured the victory through a brace from striker Tonny Talasi, who scored in each half to overturn Yanga’s early lead and expose defensive weaknesses that the Jangwani-based club will need to address before the new season gets under way.
The result also made Les Aigles only the third team to defeat Yanga during the club’s annual Yanga Day celebrations, following previous victories by Zambia’s Zanaco and Uganda’s Vipers.
Yanga started the match strongly and took the lead in the 27th minute when new signing Peter Shalulile converted from the penalty spot.
The Namibia international was brought down inside the box by the Les Aigles goalkeeper as he moved into a promising scoring position, leaving the referee with little option but to award a penalty.
Shalulile stepped up and confidently sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to give Yanga a 1-0 lead and spark celebrations among the home supporters. However, the advantage lasted only nine minutes.
Les Aigles levelled in the 36th minute after Yanga failed to clear a dangerous ball inside their penalty area. The defensive hesitation allowed Talasi to capitalise, with the striker finishing the opportunity to bring the Congolese side back into the contest.
The visitors carried the momentum into the second half and were rewarded again when Talasi completed his brace after Yanga once more failed to deal decisively with danger at the back.
The goal put Les Aigles 2-1 ahead and silenced a home crowd that had gathered expecting the anniversary celebrations to end with a victory.
Yanga made several changes after the interval as coach Manqoba Mngqithi used the occasion to assess his squad and give different players an opportunity to feature.
The changes, however, did little to resolve the defensive problems that had allowed the visitors to take control of the match.
Yanga pushed forward in search of an equaliser but struggled to break down a well-organised Les Aigles defence, with the visitors holding on to claim a memorable victory.
For Mngqithi, the result offers an early warning as he continues to build a team capable of competing on multiple fronts.
The South African was appointed to replace Pedro Goncalves and is expected to use the remaining pre-season matches to improve the team’s defensive organisation and attacking combinations.
Yanga will have little time to dwell on the defeat, with their attention now turning to the Community Shield against arch-rivals Simba on Wednesday at Amani Stadium in Zanzibar.
The match will provide Yanga with an immediate opportunity to respond, while Simba will also be seeking a reaction after losing 1-0 to Kenya’s Police FC during their own 90th anniversary celebrations on Saturday.
With both giants entering the new campaign under renewed expectations, the Community Shield will offer more than the first piece of silverware of the season.
It will also give Mngqithi an early test of how quickly his players can respond to setbacks and how prepared Yanga are for another demanding campaign.
