- The Yanga vs Al Ahly game will kick off at 1600EAT at the Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar.
- Al Ahly won the first leg 2-0 in Alexandria.
- Al Ahly top the group on 7 points while Yanga are second on 4 points.
Tanzanian heavyweights Yanga will have their work cut out when they attempt to stage their revenge against record African champions Al Ahly in a matchday 4 fixture of the 25/26 CAF Champions League Group Stage clash set to be held at the Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar.
Just a week ago, two clinical goals from former Aston Villa attacker Trezeguet helped Al Ahly record a 2-0 win in the first leg encounter staged at the Borg El Arab in Alexandria, ensuring the Egyptian giants stayed unbeaten (2W 1D) and opened a three-point gap in Group B.
With the stinging loss that handed Yanga their first loss in the group stage, the hosts will be looking to have the last laugh in the return leg as they chase a first win against the record 12-time African champions since 20214.
Yanga vs Al Ahly preview
Speaking ahead of the game, Yanga head coach Pedro Goncalves admitted his team’s mistakes came at a deadly cost but is cherishing the prospect of what they can do in the return clash.
“The first meeting, we played well but we made a few mistakes which Al Ahly used to punish us. We have to show our growth and quality too to win.
We are ready, I feel we are ready to do a good performance, we know absolutely the power of our opponents. They are the club of the century in Africa, so we respect them a lot but we believe in our capacity, in our development and we are confident for the game,” he told SportPesa Blog.
On the other side, Al Ahly head coach Jess Throup will be seeking to complete the double over Yanga but will do so without the services of star player Emam Ashour who failed to travel with the team to Zanzibar.
Ashour, who provided the assist to Trezeguet’s second goal, reportedly failed to travel in protest of the club’s decision to block a transfer offer from the USA.
The club subsequently handed him a heavy fine of EGP 1.5 million (around Ksh 4.1 million) and suspended him for two weeks.
ALSO READ: “Nobody is above the team” – Al Ahly boss Thorup sounds warning to Emam Ashour
Speaking ahead of their game, Thorup called on his players to complete the double over Yanga as they aim to finish top of Group B.
“The last game against Yanga was very good for us. We scored two goals but we could have scored even more. We now have a very good position in the group with 7 points after three games but we know we still have three games left.
We start with Yanga who have some very strong individual players. We need to reach our best level to win this game and get a very good opportunity in the group,” Thorup remarked.
Al Ahly currently top Group B and are yet to taste defeat in the group stage this season, winning twice and drawing once in the three games they have played.
Yanga sit second on 4 points while FAR Rabat andJS Kabylie are tied on 2 points.
The match will kick off at 1600EAT.
