Seven Yanga players out for Caf match against JS Kabylie

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s representatives in the Caf Champions League, Young Africans (Yanga), will be without seven key players ahead of their second Group B match against JS Kabylie on Friday from 10pm Tanzania time.

The match has been scheduled to take place at the Hocine Ait Ahmed Stadium in Boukhalfa, Tizi Ouzou Province.

The absentees include Dennis Nkane, Salum “Sure Boy” Abubakar, Farid Mussa, Kibwana Shomari, Nizar Othman Abubakar (Ninju), Abdulnasir “Casemiro” Mohammed, and Clement Mzize, who is still recovering from knee surgery.

Despite these setbacks, Yanga remain confident, relying on a well-prepared squad that includes goalkeepers Djigui Diarra, Abubakar Khomein, and Aboutwalib Mshery, defenders Bakari Mwamnyeto, Dickson Job, Ibrahim “Bacca” Abdulla, Frank Assinki, Mohammed “Tshabalala” Hussein Chadrack Boka, and Israel Mwenda.

Midfielders are Mudathir Yahya, Duke Abuya, Maxi Nzengeli, Shekhan Khamis, Moussa Bala Conte, and Aziz Andabwile, as well as forwards Prince Dube and Andy Boyeli.

Friday’s clash is crucial for Yanga. The team currently sits second in Group B with three points, following an impressive 1–0 victory over Morocco’s AS FAR at the New Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar last Saturday. 

Egyptian giants Al Ahly top the table on superior goal difference after a commanding 4–1 win over JS Kabylie in Cairo, putting the Algerian side under pressure to respond positively on home soil.

Yanga, meanwhile, are determined to consolidate their position and maintain momentum in pursuit of a knockout stage berth. For head coach Pedro Gonçalves and his technical team, the match requires maximum focus and discipline, particularly against a home side eager to recover.

JS Kabylie, sitting at the bottom of the group after their opening defeat, will see this game as a chance to redeem themselves in front of their supporters.

Historically strong at home, the North African club can be formidable, meaning Yanga must be at their best to secure another positive result and strengthen their ambitions for the next stage of the competition.

In addition to Yanga’s fixture, the other Group B match will see AS FAR host Al Ahly at the Stade Olympique de Rabat at the same time.

Both matches are expected to significantly shape the direction of Group B, as teams jostle for quarterfinal spots.  For Yanga, Friday’s encounter is not just about earning points; it is about demonstrating resilience and tactical maturity in a challenging environment while keeping pace with the group leaders.

With a reduced squad but a focused mindset, Yanga will aim to navigate the hurdles posed by missing players, the intensity of an away stadium, and the pressure of competing against a desperate JS Kabylie.

The outcome will play a major role in determining who advances from Group B into the knockout stages of Africa’s premier club competition.