The Yanga SC exhibit is impressive. Gamondi despite FC Augsburg’s loss

Despite Yanga SC’s 2-1 loss to FC Augsburg in a preseason friendly on Saturday at Mbombela Stadium in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, the team’s performance pleased head coach Miguel Gamondi.

Aziz Andabwile, Duke Abuya, Clatous Chama, Prince Dube, and Chadrak Boka made their debuts in the game, which also saw Jean Baleke score his first goal.

Left-back Just before the break, Mads Pedersen gave the Bundesliga team the lead with a neat left-footed shot into the corner after some great setup work by Elvis Rexhbecaj. With help from Masaya Okugawa, Phillip Tietz increased Augsburg’s lead to 2-0 nine minutes before stoppage time.

Baleke’s forceful header three minutes later brought young Africa’s response. “I congratulate my players because we arrived in a not-so-good position to play a game at this level against a team who play in the Bundesliga, but they put a lot of effort into the tactical and physical sides even if they weren’t ready to play,” Gamondi said in an interview with Yanga TV, as reported by the Guardian.

“I’m overjoyed and proud. We demonstrated that there is less of a divide now between football in Europe and Africa. To be clear, it was not simple for me to park the van, line up three central midfielders and five defenders, and try to squander time, but we battled them head-to-head.

We played against their perfect starting eleven in the first half. We produced two or three opportunities, and they created maybe three or four, particularly from corners. We ought to have scored in the opening frame.