YOUNG Africans (Yanga) head coach Miloud Hamdi has praised his players for their tactical discipline following a commanding 5-0 victory over Tanzania Prisons in their Mainland Premier League clash at Sokoine Stadium in Mbeya on Wednesday.

The Jangwani Street giants, who remain firmly on course to defend their league title, netted through Mudathir Yahya, Clatous Chama, Israel Mwendwa, and a brace from Ivorian striker Pacome Zouzouma.

The win marked Young Africans’ 10th consecutive league victory since their goalless draw against JKT Tanzania on February 25. During this impressive run, they have scored 34 goals and conceded only three.

Their second-half-of-the-season defensive performance has been especially outstanding, reclaiming the league’s best defensive record with just 10 goals conceded all season. Offensively, they continue to dominate, leading the league with 76 goals scored.

Hamdi’s high-pressing tactical approach proved effective, forcing multiple defensive errors from Tanzania Prisons and allowing Young Africans to score from various attacking positions.

“We won because we stuck to our strategy and played without fear,” said Hamdi (pictured). “This is a marathon - we're focused only on winning our games, not on anyone else.”

Responding to a question about playing without Stephane Aziz Ki - who recently joined Morocco’s Wydad AC -Hamdi deflected the attention: “I only speak about the players in my squad. You should ask about Kennedy (Musonda), who was also missing, not Aziz Ki.”

He added: “The players did their job, and that’s what we wanted - maximum points. Now, we focus on the next game. We’ll fight to the end for our crown.”

Young Africans are still chasing a domestic treble this season, having already clinched the Community Shield. Their remaining fixtures include league matches against Dodoma Jiji and Simba SC, followed by the Federation Cup final against Singida Black Stars in Zanzibar on June 28.

To complete the treble, Young Africans must win all three matches.

Their next test is against Dodoma Jiji at the Azam Complex this Sunday. They currently top the table with 76 points - just one ahead of arch-rivals Simba, who will play relegated Kagera Sugar the same day at KMC Complex.

Despite a tightly packed schedule, all eyes remain on the rescheduled Dar es Salaam Derby between Young Africans and Simba, set for June 25. The high-stakes encounter is widely expected to determine the fate of this season’s league title.