IN a stunning upset, Azam FC ended Young Africans' (Yanga) impressive three-year unbeaten home streak in the NBC Premier League, defeating the champions 1-0 on Saturday evening.

The loss marked Young Africans’ first league defeat in 50 home games and broke their 26-match undefeated streak across all competitions this season.

The match quickly turned challenging for Young Africans, who were reduced to ten players just 22 minutes in when center-back Ibrahim Bacca received a straight red card. 

The dismissal came after Bacca pulled down Azam’s Nassor Saadun in what the referee judged as a denial of a clear goal-scoring opportunity. 

This decision left Young Africans with a major tactical adjustment as they scrambled to maintain their defensive line against an aggressive Azam side.

With the numerical advantage, Azam capitalized on the opportunity just 13 minutes after Bacca's red card. 

Gibril Sillah, a frequent scorer against Young Africans, struck again, delivering a powerful shot past Young Africans’ goalkeeper, Djigui Diarra. 

Sillah's goal marked his third consecutive league game scoring against Young Africans, further solidifying his reputation as a consistent threat to the champions.

Despite going into halftime with a one-goal deficit, Young Africans struggled to gain control after the break. 

The Azam defense remained resolute, consistently thwarting Young Africans’ efforts to equalize. Without their usual full squad, Young Africans attempts at creating scoring chances were limited, resulting in their first league loss since March 17.

Reflecting on the defeat, Young Africans head coach Miguel Gamondi emphasized the need for resilience. 

“Nobody wants to lose, but we need to accept that defeat is part of the game. We have to be good sportsmen - sometimes the result doesn’t go our way,” he stated. “I always tell the players that we’ll lose points one day; it’s part of football. I’m still satisfied with the team’s performance overall.”

Gamondi voiced his disagreement with the referee’s decision, citing inconsistencies compared to previous calls. 

“In the first half, when it was still 11 versus 11, we created more chances than them. Then the referee took this decision, which I find a bit inconsistent. In our game against Simba, Dube faced a similar situation and only received a yellow card, but today it’s a red for us,” he noted. 

"I don't say it was wrong or right; I need to review it on television. But the criteria seem different, which is frustrating."

Even with ten men, Young Africans created opportunities in the second half, with Gamondi adjusting his team’s approach. 

“In the second half, I felt we were in control. We created two or three clear chances, one particularly for Kibabage, which was incredible but just unlucky not to go in,” he explained.

Before this defeat, Young Africans had gone unbeaten in 18 consecutive league matches and had won 26 out of 30 games last season, with only two losses. 

The team remains focused on maintaining their strong season start, as this setback, according to Gamondi, will not derail their overall objectives.

Looking ahead, Young Africans will aim to quickly regroup and regain momentum, with upcoming matches presenting an opportunity for redemption.