Coastal Union stands in Yanga’s way of clean sweep of domestic titles

02Jul 2022
Michael Mwebe
Sport
The Guardian
Coastal Union stands in Yanga’s way of clean sweep of domestic titles

YOUNG Africans, alias Yanga, and Coastal Union will take to the pitch this Saturday afternoon, for the final game of the 2021/22 season.

Coastal Union's midfielder Victor Akpan (L) keeps Yanga's midfielder, Feisal Salum, in check when the clubs met in a 2021/22 NBC Premier League tie that took place in Tanga recently.

Yanga will look to add to its already bursting trophy cabinet by beating Coastal Union in the  Azam Sports Federation Cup (ASFC) final match at Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium in Arusha.

The Green and Yellow outfit claimed a record-extending 28th league title this season along with claiming the Community Shield at the start of the season and will be eager to end their campaign with yet more silverware.

Having rested a few key players in their last game on Wednesday and neutral ground, there can be only one favourite, and that is the league champions.

If Yanga does proceed to win this match, this will be the second double triumph for the outfit since the 2015/16 season.

Forward Fiston Mayele will be Yanga's source of inspiration in front of the goal.

With 19 goals to his credit, the Congolese forward is his team’s leading goal scorer, but that only tells half the story.

It is not just the number of goals, it is how he scores them that makes Mayele stand out.

In his two outings against Coastal Union, Mayele has been directly involved in four goals, scoring three and assisting one.

Coastal Union has the toughest mission in Tanzania football right now, to stop the well-oiled Yanga from winning all the titles that were on offer in the domestic scene this season.

It has been a campaign of ups and downs for Coastal Union. In all honesty, not many would back Coastal Union to deny Yanga the treble even though this tournament is known for its upsets which have seen smaller teams beat the big guns in the climax.

Coastal Union's campaign in the cup has had a few blips. They needed to go to penalty shootouts in the Round of 16, quarterfinals, and semi-finals to fend off Mtibwa Sugar, Kagera Sugar, and Azam FC respectively.

The Tanga club's head coach Juma Mgunda is fully aware of the mammoth task ahead of him but he is confident his side is ready for the challenge.

“We don’t need points in this game, just a win, this is the final,'' Mgunda quipped ahead of the final believing finals are to be won, not to be played.

Mgunda is no fan of changing a successful line-up, and the team he sends out today will surely resemble the first-choice team he has used in recent weeks with all eyes on Abdulhamis Suleiman ‘Sopu’, the tournament top scorer.