APR FC have a mountain to climb if they are to reach the second qualification round of this year’s CAF Champions League after going down 2-1 against Young Africans (Yanga SC) in the first leg played on Saturday at Amahoro National Stadium.
Saturday: First LegAPR FC 1-2 YangaAl Ahli Tripoli 1 – 0 Al Hilal OmdurmanZESCO United 4 - 1 Horoya
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APR FC have a mountain to climb if they are to reach the second qualification round of this year’s CAF Champions League after going down 2-1 against Young Africans (Yanga SC) in the first leg played on Saturday at Amahoro National Stadium.
Full-back Juma Abdul gave Yanga the lead in the 20th minute with a long range free kick from well over 30 yards after APR center-back Abdul Rwatubyaye fouled Amiss Tambwe. Thaban Kamusoko scored the second goal for the visitors in the 72nd minute after another glaring mistake by APR defenders.
It is a losing debut for APR’s new head coach Nizar Khanfir, who joined the club last week, and will be hoping that Patrick Sibomana late goal (90+2 minute), which reduced the deficit, can turn out to be very important in the second leg, next weekend.
After the game Nizar Khanfir admitted that: "We have lost to a big team. We made two mistakes and they punished us. At 2-1, it is still an open game, we have to work hard and win the game in Tanzania.”
"Both mistakes were avoidable, but that is what you get when you have young players, we have a lot of work to do with this team, but I am confident that we can do much better,” the Tunisian tactician added.
His counterpart, Van Der Pluijm, said: "I am happy with win. APR made mistakes and we punished them, it has given us a foundation going into the second leg, and hope we can finish off the job at home.”
The Tanzanian side looked the more aggressive from the start, and got another brilliant chance at the half-hour mark, with their midfield that included Amavubi skipper Haruna Niyonzima, Tambwe and Donald Ngoma, dictating play in the middle of the pack.
APR, in their traditional black and white jersey, had chances in either half through Bernabe Mubumbyi and Jean-Claude Iranzi, who wore the captain’s armband, but Yanga, also dressed in their famous green-and-yellow shirts, dealt very well with every threat, were the better team overall.
This was the second time the teams meet in a major competition since 1996 when APR eliminated Yanga in the African Cup of Champions Clubs, which was later changed to CAF Champions League, after winning 3-1.
The second leg will be played next weekend at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam with the winner of this tie over the two legs facing Egyptian giants Al Ahly or Angola’s Recreativo do Libolo in the second round.
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