Manqoba Mngqithi's Young Africans made an impressive start to their CAF Champions League campaign after beating Madagascar's CFFA 4-0 in the first leg of their second-round preliminary tie on Saturday.

The convincing victory gives the Tanzanian champions a major advantage ahead of the return leg as they continue their efforts to qualify for the group stages of Africa's biggest club competition.

Mngqithi joined Young Africans in July after leaving South African club Golden Arrows. The experienced coach made the move with the ambition of returning to the CAF Champions League, a competition in which he has enjoyed success during his coaching career.

The South African tactician was part of the Mamelodi Sundowns technical team when the Pretoria-based club won the Champions League title in 2016. He later took charge of Sundowns as head coach, gaining further experience in one of Africa's most demanding club competitions.

His appointment at Young Africans has brought expectations that he can help the Tanzanian giants compete strongly against the continent's leading teams. Saturday's result was an encouraging step in that direction, with his players showing patience before producing an impressive attacking display in the second half.

Young Africans had to work hard to break down CFFA during the opening period. Despite their efforts to find an early goal, the home side had to wait until the 39th minute to take the lead.

Cheikh Touré eventually opened the scoring, giving Mngqithi's team a 1-0 advantage heading into the half-time break. The goal was important for Young Africans, who needed to find a way past their opponents after a competitive first half.

The match changed significantly after the restart, with Young Africans scoring three more goals in a short period.

Albert Kangwanda doubled the advantage in the 47th minute, just two minutes into the second half. His goal gave the Tanzanian side greater confidence and increased the pressure on CFFA.

Mudathir Yahya then scored in the 54th minute to make it 3-0, leaving the visitors with a difficult task as they attempted to stay in the contest.

Young Africans were not finished, however, and Maxi Nzengeli completed the scoring in the 59th minute. The goal made it 4-0 and placed Mngqithi's team firmly in control of the tie.

CFFA struggled to respond to the quick succession of goals and could not find a way back into the match. Young Africans managed the remainder of the encounter comfortably after building such a commanding lead.

The result puts Mngqithi's team in a strong position before the second leg. Nevertheless, the coach will expect his players to remain focused and avoid complacency, knowing that the tie is not yet over.

Young Africans will now aim to complete the job in the return fixture and secure their place in the CAF Champions League group stages.

For Mngqithi, the emphatic victory provides a positive start to his continental campaign with the Tanzanian champions and offers an early indication of what he hopes to achieve at the club.

Source: IDiskiTimes