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The Tanzanian giants can write a new chapter in their history if they make it to the last four and there are more incentives on the way.
Yanga SC face Rivers United of Nigeria in the CAF Confederation Cup quarter-final return match on Sunday, carrying a 2-0 advantage from the first leg.
The Tanzanian champions claimed the memorable victory in Uyo courtesy of Fiston Mayele’s brace and they have a chance to complete the job in Dar es Salaam if they avoid defeat.
Yanga can be confident of securing a first-ever semi-final ticket given they have not lost at home in continental matches this season and will be motivated by a partisan crowd.
There is a lot at stake for Nasreddine Nabi’s side if they can complete the job against the Nigerian side who beat them home and away in the preliminary round of the CAF Champions League in 2021.
Cash boom
Simba have already earned $350,000 (Ksh46 million) by reaching the quarter-final but Yanga are set for more if they make it to the last four where $450,000 (Ksh59.5 million) await them.
For a club that is always challenging on the continental front, such huge numbers go a long way in supplementing their income, making the grueling travelling logistics around Africa somewhat less taxing financially.
As extra motivation, the players are also guaranteed Tsh5 million (Ksh289,000) from Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan who has been rewarding them, alongside bitter rivals Simba, the amount for each goal either side scores in continental assignments.
They pocketed Tsh10 million (Ksh578,000) for their two goals last week and more could be on the way if they win by a big margin on Sunday.
History
The 28-time Tanzanian champions are on the cusp of history if they make it to the semi-finals as it will be the first time in their 88-year existence that they have reached the last four of a continental competition.
Yanga have never managed to go past the last eight with their last appearance at the stage being in 1995 in the now defunct Africa Winner’s Cup and had to wait for 28 years again.
The Class of 2023, therefore, has the chance to take them to the ‘Promised Land’ which will also see them equal Simba’s achievements as Wekundu wa Msimbazi are the only Tanzanian team to have achieved the feat when they made it to the 1974 semi-final of the Champions League.
That would be sweet music to the Yanga supporters as it would give them further ammunition to taunt their rivals after seeing them get eliminated from the Champions League at the quarter-final stage on Friday.
Regional pride
A semi-final for Yanga will also see them join an exclusive club of East African teams who have made it to that stage in continental competitions.
Besides Simba’s 1974 heroics, Gor Mahia, winners of the Cup Winners Cup in 1987, AFC Leopards, 1968 semi-finalists, are the other sides to have reached that level, or better, from the region with Sudanese giants Al-Hilal (Champions League runners-ups in 1987 and 1992) Al-Merrikh SC (1989 Cup Winners and 2007 Confederation Cup finalists) also doing better.
Nabi’s side like to start matches quickly and that will serve them much better given they will also benefit from the 12th man as they go in search of victory.
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