Dar es Salaam – Young Africans (Yanga) striker Clement Mzize has returned to full fitness after being sidelined for a month with a thigh injury and is set to play a crucial role when the Tanzanian giants face Silver Strikers of Malawi in the second leg of the CAF Champions League preliminary round this Saturday.
Mzize’s comeback comes at a tense time for Yanga, following the sacking of head coach Romain Folz immediately after their 1–0 defeat in the first leg in Malawi.
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The club’s management has since placed the technical bench under temporary supervision while they search for a new coach to guide the team forward.
The 21-year-old forward, who is also a key member of the Tanzania national team, Taifa Stars, said he and his teammates are fully focused on overturning the deficit and securing qualification to the group stage.
“I am fully fit now, and my goal — just like every Yanga player — is to win Saturday’s game with a big margin,” Mzize said. “We know what went wrong in the first leg, and we are ready to correct it at home. Our fans deserve to see us qualify.”
Mzize, who reportedly earns Tsh 40 million, acknowledged that it would be a huge disappointment for Yanga to exit the competition this early, given the team’s quality and continental ambitions.
“With the kind of players we have, it would be unacceptable to be eliminated by Silver Strikers,” he added. “Everyone in camp is motivated to make sure we advance to the next round.”
Mzize featured in the first leg defeat but has not played since the earlier round against Willette FC of Angola due to injury. His return adds firepower to a Yanga side desperate to bounce back and restore confidence after a turbulent week.
The decisive second leg will take place at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, where Yanga will count on their passionate home support to push them toward redemption and a place in the CAF Champions League group stage.
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