Yanga head coach Manqoba Mngqithi says the team still has a long way to go before reaching the level of performance he wants, despite their emphatic 4-0 victory over JKT Tanzania.
The South African coach said the result was encouraging, particularly because Yanga demonstrated their attacking versatility by scoring through set pieces, quick transitions and combinations of passes.
However, Mngqithi stressed that the victory should not hide the areas that still need improvement as he continues to shape the team.
“We are still a team under construction, and we have a lot of work to do, especially in controlling games and making better use of the chances we create. The positive thing is that we are scoring in different ways,” Mngqithi said.
The coach was also pleased that Yanga kept a clean sheet, but said his players must become more clinical in the final third if they are to maintain a high level of performance throughout the season.
Mngqithi explained that there was no need for his players to continue chasing goals recklessly after building a comfortable advantage, especially given the demanding schedule facing the team.
“We should not try to score 10 goals and then have no energy left for the next match. We have to play intelligently, wait for the opponents to commit players forward and then exploit the spaces they leave behind,” he said.
The victory further underlined Yanga’s attacking strength, but Mngqithi said the bigger challenge was to develop a team capable of controlling matches, managing different phases of play and consistently making the right decisions.
Yanga will now turn their attention to their next fixture as Mngqithi looks to build on the positive aspects of the JKT Tanzania victory while addressing the weaknesses that remain.
JKT Tanzania head coach Ahmad Ally said his team’s defeat was largely caused by a loss of concentration after a promising opening spell.
Ahmad said JKT had a clear tactical plan to deal with Yanga and executed it well during the opening 28 minutes before costly mistakes allowed their opponents to take control.
“We had a good plan because we knew we were playing a strong team like Yanga. Until the 28th minute, we were doing well, but after that we lost concentration and made several mistakes. By half-time, we were already three goals down,” Ahmad said.
He said Yanga’s pressing was not the main reason behind all the goals, noting that two came from set pieces while another resulted from a passing combination.
According to Ahmad, the match offered important lessons for his technical bench, particularly on the need to minimise errors and improve the team’s reaction to crucial moments during matches.
He said JKT would use the defeat as a learning experience as they seek to improve their performance and results in their upcoming fixtures.