Stephan Aziz Ki scored in the 63rd minute while substitute Bernard Morrison added a second in extra time as hosts Young Africans (Yanga) beat Marumo Gallants 2-0 in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday to earn a slim advantage from the first leg of their TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup semi-final duel.
Ki scored just a few minutes after Gallants had chances go begging while Morrison drove the final nail in the first of added minutes, setting them a foot ahead heading into next week’s return fixture.
Ki slammed the ball into the roof of the net after Tuisila Kisinda had done well with a break on the right before dragging back a cross to the edge of the six-yard area for his teammate to finish.
Just before that, Gallants had seen a flurry of chances fail to find the back of the net.
They had started the second half faster off the blocks. Four minutes in, a defensive lapse had seen Katlego Otladisa find space on the left, but his shot hit the side netting.
Dangerman Ranga Chivaviro had two close chances, both going begging. In the 55th minute, he was sent through on goal by a brilliant Lucky Mohomi backheel, but his shot went wide.
Two minutes later, he had another effort when he went through on goal from the right, but his low shot was kept out by Yanga keeper Djigui Diarra.
For the missed chances, they were punished in the 63rd minute. Fiston Mayele would have sealed the win three minutes to time, but his lobbed effort came off the crossbar.
He however made the assist for the second goal when he sent Morrison through on goal off a counter. Morrison had seen his first effort saved by the keeper, but the Ghanaian bounced back up to squeeze the ball into the net from a tight angle.
Mayele had been a threat especially in the first half when he had several chances go begging.
He had three shots at goal in the opening 25 minutes, all saved by Gallants’ Zimbabwean keeper Washington Arubi.
Gallants thought they had scored a goal in the 33rd minute, but Chivaviro’s strike was ruled out for offside.
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