South Africa’s Kaizer Chiefs and Young Africans of Tanzania will cross swords in a Toyota Cup Pre-Season Tournament match, set for the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein on the afternoon of Sunday 28 July 2024.
Match background.
Chiefs are entering a new era, having hired Tunisian coach Nasreddine Nabi after enduring a torrid 2023-24 campaign which saw them finish in 10th place on the Premier Soccer League (PSL) log – their lowest ever placing in a league season. The Amakhosi are desperate to get back to trophy-winning form (they have won no major silverware since claiming the league title back in 2014-15) and they will want to make a statement of intent in this friendly.
As for Young Africans, they are the three-time reigning Tanzanian Premier League champions, having won a record-extending 30th title in 2023-24. Yanga have dominated their domestic scene and even become major players in continental football in recent years, notably reaching the quarterfinals of the CAF Champions League last season (where they were only beaten on penalties by Mamelodi Sundowns), as well as runners-up in the CAF Confederation Cup in 2022-23.
What the teams are saying.
Yanga coach Miguel Gamondi on his team’s performance in a 2-1 friendly loss to German Bundesliga club Augsburg this past weekend:
“I am very happy and proud. We showed that the gap between European and African football is not as big as before. Let me say something: maybe it was easy for me to park the bus, put five defenders, three central midfielders, and try to waste time, but we went toe-to-toe with them.”
Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi on why he switched from FAR Rabat to the Amakhosi:
“What encouraged me to sign with Kaizer Chiefs was the communication that took place last season after my career with Young Africans, and we did not reach an agreement, especially because of the technical staff. What also encouraged me is that it is a big club and the most popular in South Africa, as well as in terms of infrastructure at the highest level, and marketing, but sportingly, it declined a lot due to the emergence of other teams, and I came to put it back on the right track.”
Players to watch.
Kaizer Chiefs: Rushwin Dortley – Chiefs may be committed to playing more attacking an entertaining football this season, but first they need to build a foundation of defensive solidity, and new centre back Rushwin Dortley (signed from Cape Town Spurs earlier this month) will be the cornerstone of that approach.
Young Africans: Prince Dube – The Zimbabwean striker has joined Yanga on a two-year deal
following a difficult time at rivals Azam FC in recent years, as he struggled against injuries. The 27-year-old has great scoring instincts and will be eager to find the back of the net against Chiefs.
Head-to-head
In head-to-head stats, Chiefs and Yanga have met in one previous friendly match: the Tanzanian side won 1-0 in a pre-season clash in Dar Es Salaam on July 22 last year, with Kennedy Musonda scoring the only goal of the game.
Interesting facts
– Kaizer Chiefs’ new coach Nasreddine Nabi oversaw Young Africans from 2021 to 2023.
– Young Africans were formed in 1935, making them 35 years older than Kaizer Chiefs
(formed in 1970).
– Kaizer Chiefs last won a trophy in the 2014-15 season. In the time since, Young Africans have won four Tanzanian Premier League titles, three Tanzanian FA Cups, one Mapinduzi Cup and Three Community Shields.
– Young Africans manager Miguel Gamondi worked in South Africa with Mamelodi Sundowns and Platinum Stars in the 2000s.
– The Toyota Stadium (also known as the Free State Stadium), was first built in 1955 and has undergone renovations and expansions to a current capacity of 46,000. It hosted matches in the 1995 Rugby World Cup, 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and 2010 FIFA World Cup.
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Broadcast details
Sunday 28 July
15:00: Kaizer Chiefs v Young Africans – LIVE on SuperSport PSL
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