Yanga head coach Manqoba Mngqithi believes his side’s 1-0 victory over Geita Gold, despite playing for more than an hour with 10 men, has provided valuable lessons as the club prepares for the new season.
Yanga secured the narrow win at KMC Complex on Tuesday night after being reduced to 10 players, forcing Mngqithi to change his tactical approach and carefully manage his squad for the remainder of the match.
The South African coach said the experience had strengthened his belief that Yanga can cope with long periods of a match while playing with a numerical disadvantage.
“Playing for more than 60 minutes with one player less has given us important experience. We now believe we can play for a long time with a player down,” Mngqithi said after the match.
However, he said he was not satisfied with the decision to send off his player, arguing that there was no deliberate intention to strike an opponent.
Despite the disadvantage, Yanga maintained control for large periods of the game, although Mngqithi said the situation required changes to his plans to prevent fatigue and injuries among his players.
“Despite this challenge, I was pleased with the performance of the players who returned after being out for some time. It is important to have a physically fit squad as we head into the new season,” he said.
For Geita Gold, the defeat was another reminder of the cost of defensive lapses against a side capable of capitalising on limited opportunities.
Coach Zuber Katwila said his players performed well and created chances, particularly in the second half, but failed to make them count.
He attributed Yanga’s goal to poor individual marking during a corner kick.
“We talked about playing as a team and we managed to do that, but we forgot to mark players individually and that allowed them to score,” Katwila said.
Katwila said his players were aware of Yanga’s quality and needed to remain disciplined throughout the match.
“If you make mistakes, they can punish you,” he said.Geita Gold came close to an equaliser in the second half, with one effort hitting the post, but Katwila said his team simply lacked the luck needed to find the net.
“You can say it was just luck. The ball did not go into the net for us,” he said.Meanwhile, Yanga communications and information manager Ally Kamwe praised the return of Clement Mzize, saying the forward had shown the pace, strength and quality he possessed before his absence.
“Mzize has returned as if he never left. It is like a new signing for Yanga. I am also pleased with Farouk Komara returning and scoring. The return of these players adds quality to the squad,” Kamwe said.