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But they agonizingly had to wait for the crucial moment, which eventually arrived in the 66th minute when substitute Clement Mzize rose high to score the only goal as they won the second leg 1-0, cementing Yanga’s place among the 16 teams at the group stage.
Uganda Cranes duo Khalid Aucho and Gift Fred’s Young Africans (Yanga) has obliterated a 25-year-old barrier, after qualifying for the group stage of the CAF Champions League (CAF CL).
This historic stride follows a sweeping 3-0 aggregate victory over Sudan’s Al Merrikh, marking a new chapter for the Tanzanian giants who became the first club from the country to reach the finals of the CAF Confederations Cup last season.
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The air was charged with anticipation as Yanga hosted Al Merrikh for the reverse leg match at Azam Complex in Dar es Salaam on Saturday.
The arena was a pulsating hub of hope for millions of Yanga fans spread across the Serengeti.
Aucho played the entire 90 minutes at the base of midfield, while Gift Fred did not make the matchday squad as he continues to settle in at the club.
But they agonizingly had to wait for the crucial moment, which eventually arrived in the 66th minute when substitute Clement Mzize rose high to score the only goal as they won the second leg 1-0, cementing Yanga’s place in the last 16.
Mzize has netted in two consecutive Champions League game against the Sudan giants after grabbing a brace against Merriekh at Kigali Pele Stadium in Rwanda to lift Yanga to a 2-0 victory.
The Jangwani-based outfits have indeed etched their names in the annals of football history, breaking the long-held shackles that had kept them away from the CAF CL group stage for a quarter of a century.
Tanzania could have two teams in the group stage of the competition with Yanga’s rivals Simba facing Zambia’s Power Dynamos in the second leg at the Azam Complex.
Meanwhile, Singida also have a shot at qualifying for the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup as they hold a 1-0 aggregate lead over Future FC.
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