Young Africans took a big step towards qualifying for the CAF Champions League group stages after securing a convincing 4-0 victory over Madagascar side CCFA in the first leg of the second preliminary round on Saturday afternoon.

The Tanzanian champions produced a strong performance to put themselves in a comfortable position ahead of the return leg next weekend. The result also provided a positive response after their recent 1-0 defeat to arch-rivals Simba SC in the league.

Young Africans are coached by former Mamelodi Sundowns mentor Manqoba Mngqithi, who is hoping to guide the team into the Champions League group stages. His side had already progressed past Botswana outfit Gaborone United in the previous qualifying round, while CCFA reached this stage after eliminating Lijabatho.

Despite their ambitions, Young Africans initially found it difficult to break down their opponents. The Madagascan side defended well for much of the first half and frustrated the visitors as they searched for an opening goal.

However, the resistance was finally broken in the 40th minute when Cheikh Toure found the back of the net. The goal was an important moment for the Tanzanian side, giving them the advantage before the break and putting pressure on the home team.

Young Africans returned for the second half with greater attacking intent and quickly extended their lead. Albert Kangwanda scored his first goal in the competition to make it 2-0, putting Mngqithi's team in control of the encounter.

The visitors continued to push forward, and Mudathir Yahya added a third goal just seven minutes later. The quick succession of goals made the task even more difficult for CCFA, who struggled to contain the Tanzanian champions after the break.

Maxi Nzengeli then completed the scoring shortly before the hour mark, finding the net for his fourth goal in all competitions this season. His effort gave Young Africans a commanding four-goal advantage.

Mngqithi's team managed the closing stages comfortably and protected their clean sheet until the final whistle. The result means Young Africans will travel into the second leg with a significant advantage as they look to complete the job at home next weekend.

Although the four-goal margin puts them in a strong position, the Tanzanian champions will still need to remain focused in the return fixture to secure their place in the CAF Champions League group stages.

Source: Soccer-Laduma