Young Africans (Yanga) maintained their hopes of winning the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League by defeating TP Mazembe 3-1 at the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium with a strong comeback.
With four points from the win, the Tanzanian team rises to third place in Group A, while Mazembe drops to last place with just two points.
After Issaka Boka was fouled in the box, Alioune Faty converted a penalty kick to give the visitors the lead in the sixteenth minute.
The host team was in danger of being derailed by TP Mazembe’s early dominance, but the Young Africans showed tenacity to rally.
With a spectacular long-range shot in the 33rd minute, Clement Mzize equalised, giving the home crowd hope again.
The The Tanzanian champions took charge of the match in the second half by maintaining their momentum.
After a quick counterattack, Aziz Ki finished comfortably in the 56th minute to complete the reversal.
In the 60th minute, Mzize scored once more, completing the victory with a perfectly timed ball from Prince Dube.
They were unable to find a way back despite Mazembe’s late efforts, which included a tremendous free-kick from Jean Diouf that shook the crossbar.
With two games left, Young Africans are now five points behind group leaders Al-Hilal Omdurman, who are still vying for a spot in the quarterfinals.
Mazembe has an uphill struggle to make it to the competition’s knockout stages, and they must fight to maintain their dreams of making it to the quarterfinals.
