Dar es Salaam. The whistle for the start of CAF inter-club competitions was blown on Tuesday this week, with Seychelles’ Côte d’Or suffering a 2-0 home defeat to Stade d’Abidjan of Ivory Coast, while fellow Seychellois side Foresters Mont Fleuri also fell 1-0 at home to FC 15 De Agosto of Equatorial Guinea in the CAF Confederation Cup.
For Tanzania’s representatives, the campaign begins today, Friday, September 19, 2025, as Young Africans (Yanga) take on Angolan champions Wiliete in the CAF Champions League preliminary round.
The match is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Tanzanian time at the 11 de Novembro Stadium in Talatona, Luanda, a 48,500-capacity venue.
Yanga go into the clash just two days after edging archrivals Simba SC 1-0 in the Kariakoo Derby during the Community Shield.
Yanga departed Dar es Salaam on Wednesday night via Ethiopia, arriving in Angola on Thursday afternoon.
After a period of rest, the squad held light recovery training before conducting two preparation sessions on Thursday, including the official pre-match practice at the stadium.
The technical team also spent time reviewing video footage of Wiliete.
Three Wiliete players have been identified as key threats, alongside former Yanga player Skudu Makudubela.
They include goalkeeper Agostinho Calunga, midfielder Beni Jetour, and striker João Chingando Manha, better known as Kaporal.
Yanga’s defense must be especially cautious of Kaporal, who impressed during the 2024 CHAN tournament, scoring twice against Zambia despite Angola’s group stage exit.
Group Stage Ambitions
Yanga’s clear objective is to reach the Champions League group stage for the third consecutive season.
In the 2023–24 campaign under Miguel Gamondi, Yanga reached the quarterfinals.
Last season (2024–25), they again reached the group stage under Sead Ramovic after Gamondi’s exit, but failed to progress further.
Now, French coach Romain Folz has been tasked with steering the team back into the groups, in line with the club’s leadership targets.
During the recently concluded transfer window (July 1 – September 7, 2025), Yanga president Hersi Said said that this year’s signings are stronger than in recent years.
“Even though we have won domestic titles, we still owe our fans more success in international competitions. We played a Confederation Cup final, then reached the Champions League quarterfinals, but last season we exited in the groups,” he noted.
CAF tournaments require significant investment and experience.
That is why, he said, Yanga need both continuity and experience.
“For now, our target is simply to reach the group stage,” he noted.
Yanga’s Record Against Angolan Sides
Historically, Yanga have fared well against Angolan opposition in CAF tournaments.
In 2007, they eliminated Petro de Luanda in the Champions League preliminary round, losing 2-0 away but winning 3-0 in Dar es Salaam to advance 3-2 on aggregate.
In 2016, Yanga faced G.D. Sagrada Esperança in the Confederation Cup preliminary round, winning 2-0 at home and losing 1-0 away to progress 2-1 on aggregate.
Other Matches Today
Elsewhere in the Champions League preliminaries, Dadjè of Benin host Libya’s Al Ahli Tripoli, Aigles du Congo of DR Congo face Nigeria’s Rivers United, while Namibia’s African Stars meet Uganda’s Vipers.
In the Confederation Cup, Friday’s fixtures feature ASN Nigelec (Niger) vs Olympic Safi (Morocco), Aigle Royal (Cameroon) vs San Pédro (Ivory Coast), and Wolaitta Dicha (Ethiopia) vs Al Ittihad Tripoli (Libya).
