NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 26 – Kenyan international Duke Abuya found the back of the net as Tanzanian giants Young Africans (Yanga) thrashed Copco FC 5-0 in the first round of the Tanzanian FA Cup in Dar es Salaam, Saturday evening.
Abuya scored Yanga’s fourth with Sheikhan Ibrahim having opened the scoring then Prince Dube and Max Nzengeli adding one more each. Mudathir Yahya put the icing on the cake as the defending champions comfortably cruised.
Yanga opened the deadlock in the 34th minute when the lanky Ibrahim powered home a header from a corner.
In the second half, Yanga ran riot. Dube doubled their tally in the 58th minute with a beautiful finish, controlling a deep cross inside the box before side footing into the roof of the nt.
Nzengeli soon made it three before Kenya’s Abuya got himself on the scoresheet, heading home beautifully from a cross on the left.
Tanzanian international Mudathir then completed the five-star performance with another powerful header off a cross on the right.
Yanga’s German coach Sead Ramovic remains confident and optimistic that his side will defend their title, saying they will use the pain of exiting from the CAF Champions League in the group stages to retain both the league and Cup.
Speaking to Telecomasia.net, the coach reiterates his side will make amends from Continental heartache.
“Of course it was painful not to progress to the quarter finals because this was one of our clear objectives. But, we cannot dwell in the past. We now focus on what is ahead of us and that is defending both the Premier League and the FA Cup. That is our ambition now and I am confident that we have the squad to do it,” the tactician told Telecomasia.net.
