Yanga, USM Alger to battle for CAF Confederation Cup glory

Young Africans players warm up

Friday May 26, 2023. 13:00

Young Africans will lock horns with USM Alger in a CAF Confederation Cup final first-leg clash at the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium on Sunday.

Kick-off is at 3:00 pm CAT.

The Tanzanian champions progressed to the final after defeating South African side Marumo Gallants 4-1 on aggregate in a semi-final tie.

Yanga are enjoying a nine-match unbeaten run in the Confederation Cup having recorded two draws and seven victories including their current two-match winning run.

“I am very happy to take this team to the final,” Young Africans head coach Nasreddine Nabbi said.

“We are the first Tanzanian team to do so and it is a huge achievement for us. Now, we will try to win this Cup. We understood that Marumo has a very good team and we didn’t want to give them too much space.

“We made a good tactical plan for the game and we also wanted to ensure we didn’t concede in the first 25-30 minutes.”

Meanwhile, Alger eased into the final after defeating Ivorian giants ASEC Mimosas 2-0 on aggregate in a semi-final tie.

The Algerian side’s win in a semi-final second-leg encounter snapped their two-match winless run in Africa’s secondary club tournament having recorded a defeat and a draw.

“We are really happy and proud with the victory and the ticket to the final. It was not an easy match because we played against a good opponent,” Alger head coach Abdelhak Benchikha said.

“We scored first and that was really important for us, though in the second half it was a bit tough. I am happy for the club, the supporters and the Algerian people who encouraged us and came out to support the team.

“We will now start working towards the final and study our opponents. They are a good team and we will prepare to go all out and win for the Algerian people.”

Young Africans and USM Alger will meet for the third time in the Confederation Cup since 2018.

Alger hammered Young Africans 4-0 in a Group D clash in Algiers in May 2018, but Yanga won 2-1 in the reverse fixture in Dar-es-Salaam in August 2018.

Referee Jean Jacques Ndala Ngambo of DR Congo will be in charge of the final first-leg encounter.