Patrick Mabedi Says He’s Ready to Handle Pressure as Yanga Host Silver Strikers

Following their shocking 1-0 defeat to TNM Super League champions Silver Strikers last Saturday, Young Africans (Yanga) fired their coach. Malawian and former Malawi national team coach Patrick Mabedi was given the mandate to lead the team on an interim basis while they continue hunting for a replacement for Romain Folz.

Mabedi’s interim tenure will begin with a crucial second-leg match against his home team, Silver Strikers, who arrived in Tanzania on Thursday evening hoping to secure qualification to the CAF Champions League group stages.

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Speaking during the pre-match press conference, the former Kaizer Chiefs defender admitted there is pressure but expressed confidence in his ability to handle it.

“In football, every game comes with pressure because you have to deliver good results. Fortunately, I have been working with this team under pressure before, so I don’t think I’ll have any problem handling it,” said Mabedi. “But most importantly, we need to relieve this pressure by performing well against Silver Strikers.”

The former FCB Nyasa Big Bullets defender was hired as assistant coach to Folz and was on the bench when Yanga suffered the bitter first-leg defeat to the Central Bankers at Bingu National Stadium.

Team Preparation

After the match in Malawi, Yanga’s return to Tanzania was delayed by flight issues. The team eventually traveled back on Monday and began preparations immediately.

“We had flight issues, but we managed to return to Tanzania on Monday and held our first session on Tuesday. We started camping on Tuesday, and so far, it has been going well,” Mabedi explained. “The players have adapted very well and shown a lot of energy. They know that we have to perform better than we did in Malawi since we’re playing at home, and they’re looking forward to the game.”

With Yanga trailing 1-0 from the first leg, Mabedi acknowledged the need for a more aggressive approach.

“We played away, and now we’re playing at home. Obviously, we need to find solutions since we’re a goal down. We have to change our tactical approach and attack this team. We don’t have time to sit back,” he said.

On team availability, Mabedi reported that most players are fit. “A lot of players are available. Only Yawo is still being assessed, along with maybe one or two other players.”

The interim coach also emphasized the importance of home support: “This is a game where we need the 12th player, which is our supporters. They always play a big role, and it will be crucial to have them motivating our players so we can deliver better results.”

Silver Strikers Confident

Andrew Joseph scored the only goal in last Saturday’s first leg, giving Silver Strikers a valuable advantage heading into the return fixture. Head coach Etson-Kadenge Mwafulirwa said his players won’t be intimidated by the hostile atmosphere at Yanga’s home ground.

“Our players are used to playing in such situations with huge crowds. It’s obvious that we’ll be facing a team with massive support, but we haven’t come to play against supporters—we’ve come to play against the team,” Mwafulirwa stated. “We’ll be concentrated on the players on the ground, not the supporters.”

He continued: “We know the supporters can provide a boost, but it’s nothing our players will be intimidated by. They’re used to playing in front of large crowds like the one we’ll face against Yanga.”

Mwafulirwa acknowledged the challenge ahead while expressing confidence in his squad’s preparation.

“Psychologically, the players know we’ve come here to play a very tough second leg. They’re equipped mentally and understand the challenge. Thankfully, we have our full squad available.”

The Silver Strikers coach showed respect for the opposition while maintaining his team’s self-belief.

“Yanga have quality players. They’re a very good side, mentally strong, and we can’t underrate them. We know we’re coming here as underdogs, which allows us to enjoy the game,” he said. “We respect them, but we don’t fear them. We’ve prepared for this match, and we know it’s going to be tough.”

He concluded: “The tie isn’t finished yet—we’ve just played the first half, and now we’re going into the second half. The goal has given us confidence, but we must be able to mark properly and match the team we’re playing against.”