YOUNG Africans head coach Sead Ramovic has emphasized the need for improved fitness levels after his side suffered a 2-0 defeat to Sudan’s Al Hilal in their CAF Champions League group stage opener at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Tuesday.

Second-half goals from Adama Coulibaly and Yassir Mozamir condemned Young Africans to their third consecutive loss in all competitions, following domestic defeats to Azam FC and Tabora United before the international break.

Reflecting on his debut as head coach, Ramovic (pictured) acknowledged the disappointing result and identified fitness as a key area needing immediate attention.

"First of all, it is not a great debut for me or the team," Ramovic admitted in the post-match press conference. "We have to be honest with each other, and that’s what I will do with my team. One of the key things is fitness. If you want to survive in the Champions League, your fitness level has to be high."

Ramovic noted that Young Africans’ inability to sustain intensity for the full 90 minutes played a significant role in their loss.

“The fitness level of my team is not where it should be, and that’s why we could not maintain the intensity. We started well, created good opportunities, and hit the crossbar twice, but we couldn’t sustain that energy,” he said.

Young Africans began the match strongly, with Prince Dube and Stephano Aziz Ki missing early chances to take the lead. Aziz Ki came closest in the second half, with a header rattling the crossbar, while Kenneth Musonda also saw his effort denied by the woodwork.

"If we scored the first header from Aziz Ki, the game would have been totally different," Ramovic said. "We would still be talking about our fitness issues, but at least we would have three points."

Despite the setback, Ramovic urged his team to demonstrate resilience as they prepare for a busy schedule, including this weekend’s league fixture and next week’s CAF Champions League match away to MC Alger.

"We have to bounce back. The sun doesn't shine all the time, and now is the time to fight. This is when character matters," he said. "We have to analyze what went wrong, learn, and improve. I am absolutely confident we will come back stronger."

Young Africans’ focus now shifts to regaining form in the Premier League and improving their performance in the Champions League.

"The goal is still to win the league and progress in the group stage. It’s tough right now, but great teams rise to challenges. We’ll fight to turn things around, starting with Saturday’s game."

With five matches remaining in the Champions League group stage, Ramovic remains optimistic that his team can recover and compete at the highest level.