Tanga. On Sunday, December 7, 2025, Yanga secured a late 1-0 victory over Coastal Union, but it took until the 88th minute to finally break a defensive wall that had frustrated them all evening.
Every attack was met with resistance, every combination shut down, every channel blocked.
It was a game that demanded patience and Yanga nearly ran out of time.
Coastal didn’t come to survive they came with a plan.
Their structure without the ball was impressive, settling into a compact 4-5-1 that shifted between mid-block and low-block depending on Yanga’s build-up zones.
Space between lines was shut completely, and central access became a luxury Yanga rarely enjoyed.
The discipline worked perfectly.
Yanga, a side known for dictating tempo early, struggled to find rhythm and were forced wide more than usual.
Coastal kept the midfield congested and clean passes into danger areas became difficult to execute.
Coastal also dominated second balls, a detail that slowed Yanga’s momentum and kept the game tight.
Duels were physical, aggressive and intense and for long spells, Coastal won that fight.
In transition they carried real threat. Once the ball was regained, they looked to spring forward quickly and catch Yanga’s back line before it reset.
The idea was sharp, the execution occasionally promising.
Yet numbers killed them.
They often countered with too few bodies, leaving attacks easy for Yanga to control once initial pressure faded.
A threat was there, just never enough to convert into something bigger.
With possession, Yanga tried to impose their identity: wingers narrowing inside, full-backs pushing high to overlap and overload the middle.
Their shape was familiar but the final product wasn’t.
Decision-making in the attacking third lacked clarity.
Final passes fell short, box occupation was too low, and chances lacked sharpness. Possession looked good, penetration did not.
The second half demanded more and Yanga responded.
They pressed higher, circulated the ball quicker and forced Coastal into mistakes they had avoided earlier.
More bodies arrived around the box, more runs were coordinated, more urgency finally appeared.
Coastal began to stretch.
Gradually, spaces opened and the resistance started to crack under pressure.
Still, time ticked, and Yanga were one attack away from frustration.
Then came Prince Dube 88th minute. One chance, one header, one moment that changed everything.
A cold finish broke the deadlock and punished Coastal’s only lapse in concentration.
Yanga walked away with a 1-0 victory that pushes them to 16 points, now second on the table just one behind JKT Tanzania who are on 17 with four matches more.
With six games played against JKT’s ten, Yanga remain firmly positioned in control of the title chase.
