Ngoma on target as Yanga advance

Dar es Salaam. Young Africans qualified for the second round of the African Champions League yesterday after drawing 1-1 with APR of Rwanda at the National Stadium.

The Hans van der Pluijm’s men advanced on a 3-2 goal aggregate having won the first leg of the first round 2-1 at Amahoro Stadium in Kigali last week.

Yanga will now face either Al Ahly SC of Egypt or Reacreativo do Libolo of Angola.

The two sides were in action last evening and by press time; the Egyptian champions were leading 1-0. The first leg ended in a barren draw at Estádio Municipal de Calulo in Libolo.

In yesterday’s match, APR kicked off the match on a high tempo and their pressing paid off as early as the third minute when Fiston Nkinzingabo’s powerful shot left Yanga shot-stopper Ali Mustafa diving to no avail.

The visitors could have doubled their advantage in the first 20 minutes, but kept on crafting decent chances and wasting them as well.

Yanga, who looked defensive, came into the game midway through the first half and Zimbabwean Donald Ngoma sent thousands of fans at the 60,000-seater stadium into wild celebrations with a goal in the 28th minute. The move was initiated by Mustafa whose long ball got through to Zimbabwean midfielder Thabani Kamusoko and the latter threaded the ball through to Ngoma who then fired past a stunned Jean Claude Ndoli.

Yanga took control of the game after the goal and could have put the tie beyond APR’s reach through Amissi Tambwe, Ngoma and Deus Kaseke, but they fluffed the chances that came their way.

After the break, both teams played at a slow pace with APR coach Nizar Khanfir calling Nkizingabo off for Jihadi Bizimana, but there was no any impact.

APR came close to scoring in the 49th minute with a well-coordinated attack, but Iranzi Jean Claude saw his shot saved by Mustafa.

Yanga responded in the 58nd minute when Tambwe raced into the penalty box, but Rutanga rose to the challenge to make a superb clearance. On the hour mark, Pluijm introduced Simon Msuva for Haruna Niyonzima with a view to injecting more pace in the attack, but both sides could not score until the final whistle.

The winners of the second round advance to the group stage, while the losers enter the 2016 CAF Confederation Cup play-off round.

Yanga: Ally Mustafa, Mbuyu Twite, Mwinyi Hajji, Kevin Yondan, Vincent Bossou, Pato Ngonyani, Deus Kaseke/Geoffrey Mwashiuya (70), Thabani Kamusoko, Donald Ngoma, Amissi Tambwe and Haruna Niyonzima/Simon Msuva (65).

APR: Jean Claude Ndoli, Rusheshangonga Michael, Rutanga Eric, Rwatubyaye Abdul, Emery Bayisenge, Yannick Mukunzi, Fiston Nkinzingabo/Djihad Bizimana (46), Benedata Janvier/Bertrand Iradukunda (88), Issa Bigirimana, Iranzi Jean Claude and Patrick Sibomana.