Yanga storm CAF CC final, to face off with Algeria’s USM Alger

• Yanga beat South Africa’s Marumo Gallants 2-1 to win 4-1 on aggregate
• They have qualified to the final for the first time ever
• They will play Algeria’s USM Alger who beat Asec Mimosas

Tanzanian giants Yanga have qualified for the final of the CAF Confederation Cup for the first time ever after beating South Africa’s Marumo Gallants 2-1 on the night and 4-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals.

Yanga’s Congolese striker Fiston Mayele starred for Wanajangwani, scoring the opener and assisting the second as they blew away Gallants in their own home turf.

Yanga became the first ever East African country in the modern age of CAF Inter Club tournaments to qualify for the final.

Kenya’s Gor Mahia won the Nelson Mandela Cup in 1987 while Yanga’s arch rivals in Tanzania, Simba, reached the final of the CAF Cup in 1993.

“I am delighted to see this team qualify for the final. This has been a product of hard work and belief from the players. Now we will try to win the tournament,” Yanga’s Tunisian coach Nasreddine Nabbi said.

He added; “We had a good strategy for the match and we didn’t want to allow Marumo to have an early goal. They are a good team and if they had scored first it would have made things difficult for us.”

Mayele on form for Yanga

Mayele scored the opener for Yanga at the stroke of halftime when he ran down the left on a well-orchestrated counter attack. His initial effort was saved by the keeper, but he followed up the rebound to tap home from close range.

Before that, both teams had chances. Gallants had the best opportunity to change the face of the game in the 32nd minute when Ranga Chivaviro sent Celimpilo Ngema through on goal, but the latter saw his effort saved by the keeper’s legs one on one.

Earlier in the 27th minute, Lesiba Nku had another chance when he ran through on goal on the left, but his effort to chip over the keeper ended over the bar.

In the second half, Gallants started well with Letsie Koapeng heading over from close range off a Nku cross before Chivaviro had the ball in the net in the 57th minute but was ruled out for offside.

In the 62nd minute, off another brilliantly executed counter attack, Yanga completed the job when Mayele stormed off on the right, beating his marker for pace before squaring for Musonda who slammed the ball into the roof of the net.

At the stroke of 90 minutes, Gallants halved the deficit with Chivaviro heading home from a Lucky Mohomi cross, but it was too late as Yanga marched on to the final.

USM Alger sees off Asec Mimosas 

Meanwhile, USM Alger progressed after a 2-0 win over Ivory Coast’s Asec Mimosas.

Khaled Bousseliou and substitute Abdelfetah Belkacemi scored the goals for USMA in either half for them to fly into the final.

Bousseliou scored the opener after 28 minutes when he picked the ball from a throw-in, turned his marker inside out in the box before planting the ball in the bottom corner with a curled finish.

In the second half, the Ivorians came back a stronger side as they played with pace and pressure, forcing USMA to defend deep. However, they could not get a way back into the tie.

With 10 minutes to go, the Algerians sealed the match in traditional route one form. A long lob from keeper Benbot landed on the path of Belkacemi who had just come on and with the Asec keeper off his line, simply lobbed the ball beyond him to wrap up the game.