AS a journalist who believes and adores tactical conversation of any sport of my understanding while ignoring minor events that spark narratives while failing to analyze the whole results of the particular match, I have been led back to shedding light on the Mamelodi Sundowns versus Yanga duel.

It was the rematch of the 2023/24 CAF Champions League quarterfinals at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria that ended in a 0-0 draw, forcing it to spot kicks given the two clubs had settled for the same results in the earlier tie. The clash thereafter saw Yanga lose 3-2 on penalties.

The whole concept for Yanga's elimination is on the disallowed goal that midfielder Stephane Aziz Ki's shot bounced in!

I am not sure because it is a controversial decision as the ball bounced onto the ground and returned to Sundowns goalie Ronwen Williams’ gloves.

I will discuss the incident later but, while other countries upgrade in football after every season following their previous eliminations in the CAF Champions League, soccer followers in Tanzania are now accustomed to celebrating after witnessing their clubs failing to garner significant achievement in the showdown.

It is best such supporters stop congratulating Simba SC and Yanga so that the two sides can build better teams for many more years.

Last season, Yanga reached the CAF Confederation Cup final and lost but the outcome was, to some soccer lovers in the country, akin to a triumph!

Simba SC has failed to go beyond the CAF Champions League quarterfinals for many years now and the team's fanatics were delighted to witness the squad exit at the same stage because Yanga was playing in the showdown.

This season, Simba SC supporters are dissatisfied with seeing the outfit crash out of the continental showpiece's last eight and the answer is simple, Yanga had also reached the quarterfinals after 24 years and faced elimination in the same stage on the same day.

Even though both teams have been eliminated, Yanga has been praised to have played better than Simba SC.

One team is praised for having been knocked out. Welcome to Tanzania if you just landed, this is normal for the country's soccer followers.

Yanga has to build a stronger team and scale great heights next season, the side should not feel it was eliminated undeservedly, that is not helpful at the moment.

The team was not robbed at all given Mamelodi Sundowns was the better team, the South African side dominated both ends of the game and the only aspect missing was a goal.

Yanga had few chances from counterattacks- the squad could have finished the game in Dar es Salaam by scoring two goals but failed and Mamelodi continued to dominate the game.

After 90 minutes, Yanga received the most praise despite being dominated at home, something is not right and this has to change.

The Jangwani Street giants need a striker despite having midfielders and attackers that can score goals.

The team still hardly has an out-and-out striker that could convert all chances it needed to finish off Mamelodi, the squad still needs a clinical goal scorer with Fiston Mayele’s caliber.

Another setback is penalty shootouts, no one believes that a Tanzanian team can advance to the next stage of penalty shootouts because of an inferiority complex and technical inability, penalties are a technical staff homework for players to execute.

In the past two seasons, Simba was eliminated by Moroccan side, Wydad Casablanca, on penalties and also faced the same fate against Orlando Pirates in CAF Confederation Cup.

Yanga was eliminated by Mamelodi Sundowns via penalties and now it is a national issue, Tanzania's clubs can hardly advance in African inter-club tournaments via spot kicks.

The sides should not be satisfied with it because they have a lot to learn and improve for them to secure a place in the semi-finals and final of the CAF Champions League.

Outfits should invest much in technology, the East African nation is not so far behind, it should stop thinking that its teams are robbed by referee's decisions, and the nation should improve teams so they can beat the likes of Al Ahly and Mamelodi Sundowns at home.

Simba SC used to be a force to be reckoned with in the CAF Champions League in the past four years. It translated its local football dominance into continental soccer success.

The Msimbazi Street club beat like likes of Al Ahly, AS Vita Club, Wydad Casablanca, and many more but now the squad is far from what it used to be, and there is a need for it to improve.

Yanga has advanced much in the last two years domestically and the side is pushing to make its mark in continental soccer. 

The club has to invest in the squad and improve more next season, stop complaints about feeling injustice was done towards it.

I have seen the letter written by Yanga to CAF, concerning complaints on allegations of favouritism showcased by the referees, it is not bad but it would hardly help the Tanzanian side.

If Yanga was better even after the goal had not been awarded, the squad would have advanced to the semi-finals.

It missed multiple chances- some of which were wasted by attacker Clement Mzize, the squad missed three penalties, how can a soccer follower perceive such a club better?

Tanzania's soccer lovers should stop congratulating their squads after failing to either advance to the next stage or win a certain title, such a decision will help the squads go over the hump, improve and become competitive.

The decision to disallow the goal that seemed to have been netted by Yanga was right because the angle in the image above the goal, as seen on television, could not be relied upon. It was not clear the ball bounced over the line.

Without goal-line technology, deciding in favour of Yanga was always going to be hard.

With the absence of goal-line technology (GLT), officials operating in the Video Assistant Referee's room normally used to determine whether it was a goal or not.

Although it was not precise, the decision can be made with the use of multiple camera angles that are available.

The VAR room's officials communicate with the on-field referee and then adjudge whether he needs to come and have a look at the video evidence on the pitchside monitor (Referee Review Area) or they will say that they do not have enough evidence to overturn his decision if he has made one.

The ball was adjudged to have not crossed the line by both the referee and the linesman. The VAR room's officials intervened and had a look at the incident.

They then came to a decision that they could not overrule the on-field decision of ‘No Goal’.

Had the referee decided it was a goal grabbed by Yanga, I believe it would have stood using the same reasoning.

Again, VAR without goal-line technology is not ideal in making decisions but it was the best there was. The CAF Champions League is improving with the use of VAR and the next step would be to also have goal-line technology.


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