‘Aerial-balls flaw hurts envoys’
AFTER a dismal start in the CAF Confederation Cup, Young Africans have diverted their arsenals to TP Mazembe they host at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Sunday.
Top of all reactions ahead of the second round, came from a well-established football analyst, Ally Mayay, who urges both Young Africans and Simba, who also lost to Horoya in Conakri, to sort out aerial balls weakness affects both scoring and defending systems.
After a 2-0 loss to US Monastir in Tunisia over the weekend, Yanga have now been tasked to a must-win home assignment in order to revive their chances of reaching the quarterfinal stage of the contest.
TP Mazembe who lead group D with 3 points, overpowered Real Bamako of Mali with a convincing 3-1 victory in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo stamping a flying start.
Facing Yanga is therefore their first away group stage assignment that pundits have already described it as a tense fixture to the hosts who demand nothing far from good results on the day.
However, according to the available statistics, almost 90 per cent of teams which launched group stage campaign on away arenas have lost their openers.
Out of eight first round Confederation Cup fixtures staged over the weekend, none of the teams played in away venues tasted a victory as there has been three draws and five losses.
This is a clear testimony that the second round is going to see changes in the teams that suffered losses.
Meanwhile, Acting Director of Sports in the Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture Ally Mayay has cautioned both Yanga and Simba players to have winning mentality in their upcoming home matches.
“For Yanga, they conceded two similar goals from set-pieces meaning that their defenders need to work a lot on how to clear aerial balls because the same errors surface frequently for both teams,” he said.
Adding, said at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, both Yanga and Simba should create winning strategies to the extent that at the sound of the final whistle, maximum points should not go the opponents.
“As we cherish that our Premier League is fifth strongest in Africa, these two giant clubs should prove it in the group stage of both the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup.
“Of course, it is a heavy load but they ought to carry it bearing in mind that there is no way out. As such, this is the best moment for them to make good use of home ground advantage,” Mayay said.
Again, he seized the platform to urge Simba’s striking department to undergo psychological boost, saying striker John Bocco missed clear chances due to lack of concentration and not inexperience.
“For experienced player of Bocco caliber, what he needs is to be enhanced psychologically so that when such scoring opportunities knock again, he should be able to turn them into goals,” he remarked.
