Goal on Sunday. Getting in the latter stages of the competition guarantees you a chance to play against the best teams in the continent. As a player, I have an opportunity to play against the best players as well. We are happy to have secured our place in the last eight, but we know we have a job to finish when we will play the defending champions Al Ahly.
The 28-year-old has further explained why he is hurt by the goal conceded against the Congolese side despite a healthy win. Our target as defenders was to ensure we finish the group stage with a clean sheet, Onyango revealed.
The progress has been good, and it is a reward for the preparations made before the season started and the hard work by all involved. The run has been consistent for the club for both the home and away matches where we have managed to get positive outcomes. It is a massive feeling reaching the last eight and we will give our best. We have what it takes to make it to the final.
The 29-year-old went on to opine on why the team has done well in the competition, at the same time revealing what the club had targeted against the Congolese side.
Mashemeji Derby was doing well and it was exciting to watch, Manula told
Goal. However, Gor Mahia have been dominating which in a way has affected the derby. Other teams are struggling to match them [including rivals Leopards] and it has made the derby s spark go down. It is different with the
Kariakoo Derby because both Simba and Yanga are almost at par. It makes the derby unpredictable and as a result, many fans come in large numbers to support their respective teams.
The 25-year-old also explained why the Tanzania Mainland League is fast gaining popularity in the East Africa region and the entire continent at large.
It is a relief for coach George Lwandamina who is hoping to have all his key players available as he targets to challenge Yanga SC and Simba SC for the league title.
The 2014 champions have now lost Dube to injury twice this season; the first one came at the end of the first round of the league when he injured his left arm during their match against rivals Yanga.
The injury forced Azam to seek further treatment outside Tanzania with the striker travelling to South Africa and he underwent successful surgery in Cape Town to fix a broken ulnar bone on his left forearm.
During this break, we will be focusing on where we have been making mistakes and rectify. We want to be at our best after resuming; the main objective is to win as many games in the league and ensure we finish in the top four.
However, the experienced tactician conceded it is not going to be easy considering the fact that every team is giving the best to achieve their targets. There are some teams battling to ensure they are out of the relegation zone, Mkwasa continued. We also have teams fighting for the league title and others aiming at finishing in certain positions. It is for these reasons that the second round is definitely going to be tougher but we are going to give our best.