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FC PLATINUM could exploit the uneasiness in the Young Africans camp when the two teams clash in a Caf Confederation Cup first round, first leg encounter at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium this afternoon.
Various media in Tanzania have been reporting on the immense pressure that Young Africans have piled on themselves following their 0-1 derby defeat to Simba last Sunday.
According to the reports, their fans are demanding nothing short of victory and will have no heart for Dutch coach Hans van der Pluijm should he fall to Norman Mapeza’s Pure Platinum Play.
The Daily News of Tanzania also reported that Yanga, as Young Africans are affectionately known, will be missing the services of influential skipper Nadir Haroub who suffered a deep cut on top of his left eye in the derby encounter.
Young Africans, who rarely lose a match at the 60 000-capacity Benjamin Mkapa facility, however, got crucial support from the Tanzanian Football Federation who cancelled their midweek fixture against JKT. This afforded Pluijm ample time to work on his players’ mental strength in the aftermath of the morale-sapping loss to Simba.
“No one will understand Pluijm, least of all Yanga fans, if his charges fail to beat the Zimbabweans,” The Daily News of Tanzania reported during the week.
Despite the dampening defeat to Simba, Yanga currently top the 14-team top flight league and have lost once in their last five outings.
They sailed through to the first round of the Caf Confederation Cup courtesy of a 3-1 aggregate win over Botswana Defence Forces X1.
They beat the Tswana side 2-0 at home before going down 1-2 in Gaborone in the reverse fixture.
Amid such drama in the opposition’s camp Mapeza and his FC Platinum outfit will have to be wary of a Young Africans backlash.
The Zimbabwean representatives, who have experienced players such as skipper Petroes Mhari, Thabani Kamusoko, Donald Ngoma and Aaron Katebe among others, will be seeking to come out of Tanzania with a result before finishing of the job at their favoured Mandava fortress in a fortnight.
Online Reporter