Yanga president’s double gesture that will paint Rwanda’s Pelé Stadium green and yellow
A double gesture by Yanga SC president, Hersi Ally Said, looks set to paint Rwanda’s Kigali Pelé Stadium green and yellow when the Tanzanian champions take on Sudan’s Al-Merrikh.
Al-Merrikh can’t host their games at home due to the ongoing war in Sudan. The Omdurman-based side opted to take their game to Kigali [kick of is 15h00]. This was after efforts to host their CAF Champions League tie in Morocco flopped due to visa issues.
Kigali is a tedious 1,500 km away from Dar es Salaam, Yanga’s base, but that did not stop close to 1,500 fans from driving across to back the team.
If the club’s fans could take a 3600km drive to Rustenburg, South Africa, for last season’s CAF Confederation Cup tie against Marumo Gallants, surely the journey to neighbouring Rwanda would never be an issue.
But before the arrival of the Tanzania contingent, Engineer Hersi had already touched the local community.
DONATION TO FLOOD VICTIMS IN KIGALI
In May, torrential rains caused flooding in western and northern Rwanda, killing at least 129 people.
It was recorded as the highest disaster-induced death toll in the East African country in the shortest period. The floods left over 5,000 people homeless, and the World Food Programme is mobilising funds to assist victims.
Upon arrival in Rwanda’s capital, Engineer Hersi, through Tanzania’s Embassy in Kigali, reached out to the government of Rwanda.
“The floods, caused by heavy rains, affected thousands of people in Rwanda, displacing many and destroying homes and infrastructure.
“It has been the club’s culture to make donations and acts of charity in every away game the team is playing.
“The act of charity has been a strong act which aims to give back to the community.
“The donations of building materials such as cement and iron sheets worth US$4,000 [R75 000] are going to support the affected community,” Engineer Hersi told FARPost.
The Yanga boss is a well-known philanthropist in Tanzania and has been involved in several charitable activities.
The Rwandan government welcomed the donation, thanking Engineer Hersi for his generosity and support for the flood victims.
The donation is a reminder of the power of sport to bring people together and to make a difference in the world. It could see local fans rally behind Timu ya Wananchi.
YANGA BOSS BUYS MATCH TICKETS FOR 1,500 TRAVELLING FANS
A convoy of about 50 mini-buses has been seen on social media platforms ferrying the club’s members and fans to Kigali.
Al-Merrikh hiked the ticket prices, with the cheapest ticket going for the equivalent of R190 while a VIP ticket is R1,000.
In a show of support for the club’s travelling fans, Engineer Hersi has purchased 1,500 match tickets for the travelling fans.
“We noticed that Al-Merrikh had hiked the tickets. So I’ve decided to buy tickets for the fans travelling from Tanzania to support the team.
“The game belongs to fans; we’re blessed to have fans and members as passionate. The sacrifice to travel all the way to support their team is admirable. So it’s a gesture of gratitude to the fans,” explained Engineer Hersi.
His gesture has been met with widespread praise from Yanga fans.
“It’s my first time hearing that a club president has bought tickets for fans. It will cost him, from his pocket, US$15,000 [R284,000]. That is millions of Tanzanian shillings. I’m so proud. It’s not easy to travel outside the country for fans. It’s costly because one needs money for food, accommodation and transport. So this gesture goes a long way,” said Yanga fan Abdul Kondo.
Another fan, Pereira Tostao Mahudi, said: “It shows that he cares about the fans and is committed to the club’s success.”
The gesture to purchase tickets will ensure that a large number of Yanga fans will be able to attend the match and support their team.
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