The reigning Mainland champions, Young Africans, fly to Turkey today for a two-week training camp as part of preparations for the second round of the Vodacom Premier League and African Champions League.PHOTO|FILE
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This time last year, the team known as Yanga, also pitched a two-week camp in Antalya, Turkey and came back to win the league crown, but had a run-of-the-mill participation in the continental showpiece.
Dar es Salaam. The reigning Mainland champions, Young Africans, fly to Turkey today for a two-week training camp as part of preparations for the second round of the Vodacom Premier League and African Champions League.
This time last year, the team known as Yanga, also pitched a two-week camp in Antalya, Turkey and came back to win the league crown, but had a run-of-the-mill participation in the continental showpiece.
Yanga will be travelling minus midfielder Athuman “Chuji” Idd who was recently slapped with an indefinite ban and injury-prone Salum Telela will also miss the trip.
Yanga assistant head coach Charles Boniface Mkwasa told The Citizen yesterday that the team’s contingent will comprise 26 players and six officials.
Mkwasa, who crossed to the Jangwani Street side from Ruvu Shooting, said the team departs for Istanbul this morning and from there they will head off to Antalya, a much warmer town in the south of the country.
The outspoken coach nurses hopes that the Turkey trip help the team gain valuable exposure that would spur them to defend the title and put up a decent performance in the continental event.
The players set to fly to Istanbul today are goalkeepers Juma Kaseja, Ali Mustafa and Deogratius Munisi.
Defenders: Juma Abdul, Mbuyu Twite, David Luhende, Oscar Joshua, Nadir Haroub, Rajab Zahir, Ibrahim Job and Kelvin Yondani.
Midfielders: Frank Domayo, Simon Msuva, Nizar Khalfan, Hussein Javu, Shaaban Kondo, Haruna Niyonzima, Hassan Dilunga.
Strikers: Jerry Tegete, Said Bahanuzi, Hamis Thabit, Didier Kavumbagu, Hamis Kiiza, Emmanuel Okwi, Bakari Masoud, Reliant Lusajo and Mrisho Ngassa.
Team officials in the trip are Mkwasa (assistant head coach), Juma Pondamali (goalkeepers’ trainer), Hafidh Saleh (manager), Juma Sufiani (physician), Baraka Kizuguto (information officer) and the head of delegation, Salum Rupia.
