YOUNG Africans Sports Club (Yanga) head coach Hamid Miloud has expressed his delight following his team’s emphatic 5-0 victory over Mashujaa FC at Lake Tanganyika Stadium.

Miloud (pictured) commended his players for their dominant display and dedicated the win to the club’s passionate supporters.

“It was a tough match, but first of all, I want to thank the fans who came in large numbers today. On behalf of the club, we dedicate this victory to them. This win is for them,” Miloud stated after the match.

Despite the convincing scoreline, the Algerian tactician acknowledged that his team had to work hard to control the game.

“No, I did not expect this to be a difficult match especially in the first half. It was not difficult before we played, but we made it tough for ourselves at times. I am very happy with the second half because the players performed really well,” he added.

Miloud emphasized the importance of squad depth and praised players who stepped up in the absence of key team members.

“All players in the squad are important. You saw that Clatous Chama did not play in the last few matches, but when he got a chance, he contributed to winning. Also, Musonda did not start today, but he has a great mentality and works very hard. I must ensure that all players are ready to compete,” he explained.

Young Africans’ dominant display extended their winning streak to three consecutive matches in the Mainland Premier League, reinforcing their position at the top of the table. The victory marked their 18th win of the season, taking their points tally to 55 after 21 matches.

Mashujaa, who had been on a slight resurgence following their 2-0 win over Pamba Jiji, were handed their heaviest home defeat since their promotion last season. Prior to this match, their worst home loss had been a 3-0 defeat to Azam FC.

The encounter, saw all five goals scored by Young Africans’ foreign stars. Substitute Clatous Chama netted twice, bringing his season tally to three goals, while Prince Dube found the back of the net for the 10th time this campaign.

Young Africans controlled the game from start to finish, though they initially struggled to convert their chances. They went into halftime with a narrow 1-0 lead, courtesy of Duke Abuya’s 31st-minute strike. 

Mashujaa’s goalkeeper misjudged a clearance, leading to Abuya capitalizing on the mistake and slotting the ball past Patrick Munthali.

Mashujaa, under the guidance of coach Abdallah Mohammed ‘Baresi’, showed resilience in the first half, but Young Africans’ relentless attacking approach proved overwhelming after the break.

The second half began with the defending champions doubling their lead in the 48th minute. Prince Dube scored with a well-placed header from a precise cross by Pacome Zouzoua, who was later named Man of the Match.

Dube’s goal took his tally to 10 for the season, placing him alongside teammate Clement Mzize and Simba SC’s Jean Charles Ahoua among the top scorers in the lead.

Before the game, speculation had swirled around Chama’s commitment to Young Africans after he removed photos in the club’s jersey from his social media. However, the Zambian midfielder silenced any doubts with an explosive nine-minute cameo after being introduced in the 69th minute.

Chama scored twice, netting in the 74th and 83rd minutes, both goals set up by Abuya and Maxi Nzengeli. His contributions took his tally to three goals and two assists since joining Young Africans from Simba.

This latest victory adds to Young Africans’ series of high-scoring wins this season. Prior to this, they had defeated Fountain Gate (5-0), KenGold (6-1), and KMC (6-1), making them the highest-scoring team in the league with 55 goals from 21 matches.