AFTER a successful pre-season tour in South Africa, Young Africans’ tactician Miguel Gamondi is confident that his strikers will be a key factor in the upcoming 2024/2025 season.

Young Africans will compete on all fronts in the new season, including the Premier League, Federation Cup, Community Shield, and CAF Champions League.

The team returned to Tanzania on Tuesday following a series of pre-season friendlies in South Africa. They faced a mixed bag of results, suffering a 2-1 defeat to German Bundesliga side FC Augsburg before bouncing back with a 1-0 win over South African Premier League outfit TS Galaxy in the Mpumalanga Premiers Cup. 

The tour concluded on a high note with a resounding 4-0 victory over Kaizer Chiefs, managed by former Young Africans coach Nasreddine Nabi.

The introduction of new signings Prince Dube and Jean Baleke has created healthy competition in the attacking department, according to Gamondi. Dube, who joined from Azam FC, and Baleke, on loan from TP Mazembe, have quickly made their mark, with the former netting twice and the latter once in their recent friendly matches. 

These performances have eased Gamondi's reliance on attacking midfielders, a strategy employed in the previous season.

The Argentine tactician emphasized the importance of goal-scoring for strikers and expressed his desire to see Dube and Baleke continue their scoring form and convert more chances. Young Africans’ impressive pre-season results, including victories over TS Galaxy and Kaizer Chiefs, have set a positive tone for the upcoming season.

"Baleke has been finding himself in excellent goal-scoring positions and has shown great composure to finish clinically. His movement and anticipation in the final third have been outstanding throughout the pre-season. 

“Dube’s return to form has been impressive. He’s quickly adapted to our playing style and has already proven his goal-scoring ability. While his finishing is sharp, I expect him to increase his involvement in build-up play and create more goal-scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates," said Gamondi.

With the inclusion of Kennedy Musonda and Clement Mzize, Young Africans now have four strikers at their disposal, providing Gamondi with a wealth of attacking talent to choose from. 

Due to his versatility, Zambian forward Musonda is expected to be deployed primarily on the wings, either right or left. Local forward Mzize will also continue to operate in wider areas, according to coach Gamondi, based on his usage in the pre-season international friendlies.

Young Africans are set for a hectic start to their 2024/25 season. The team will face Zambian champions and CECAFA Dar Port Kagame Cup winners, Red Arrows, in the Mwananchi Week finale on Sunday. 

The following week, Young Africans will kick off their domestic campaign with a Community Shield semi-final clash against arch-rivals Simba. The other semi-final will see Azam FC take on Coastal Union.

International commitments will also be on the cards for the Tanzanian giants as they prepare to face Burundi's Vital'O in the preliminary round of the CAF Champions League. Young Africans will be aiming to secure a place in the group stage for the second consecutive season.