Young Africans now to pitch camp in Istanbul

By Majuto Omary

The Citizen Reporter

Dar es Salaam. Mainland giants Young Africans will now step up their preparations for the second round of the Vodacom Premier League by pitching a camp in Turkey instead of South Africa, as earlier announced.

The club’s competitions committee chairman, Abdallah bin Kleb, confirmed yesterday that plans were on for the team to depart for Istanbul for a two-week camp ahead of the decisive round.

“Preparations and logistics for the trip are afoot. We expect to leave for Turkey on December 27,’ said Kleb.

He said the team’s technical bench would name players who will make the trip two or three days before their departure.

“Our decision to camp in Istanbul, Turkey, instead of South Africa stems from the fact that at that time the South African football authorities will be busy with preparations for the 2012 Africa Nations Cup finals,” he said.

He voiced optimism that the training stint in Turkey would give the Jangwani Street boys the exposure they need ahead of the second round.

“We expect to play a series of build-up matches against top teams in Turkey during our two-week stay in Istanbul,” he said. He fell short of naming the sides.

However, this is not the first time Yanga publicise their European camping plans and end up camping in the country or neighbouring countries. Before the kickoff of the 2012/13 they said the same and did the opposite – they flew to Kigali for a two-week training.

Kleb said their target was to wrest the league title from their arch-rivals Simba when the race for the Mainland’s soccer supremacy comes to an end in May next year.

The Kagame Cup champions top the 14-team league with 29 points from 13 matches, six points ahead of title-holders Simba and five ahead of second-placed Azam FC.

via Young Africans now to pitch camp in Istanbul.