Just slightly over 24 hours before Sunday's epic showdown against Algeria's USM Alger in the first leg of the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup final, hosts Young Africans (Yanga) announced that the 60,000-capacity Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium in the capital Dar es Salaam was sold out.
It is the noise of this huge number of supporters that Wanajangwani will be counting on to earn a healthy first leg advantage against the Algerians.
Unlike Alger who are playing their second continental final having featured in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League decider in 2015, Yanga are playing their first ever final and they hope the power of the 12th man can push them further into history.
"We want to make the best of our home advantage and win the game here. We are glad that the fans have bought tickets in their numbers and their encouragement from the stands will push us to success," said coach Nasreddine Nabbi.
His sentiments are shared by assistant captain Dickson Job, who has asked the fans to remain calm as they are in a good position to do the job.
"Our fans and the Tanzanian people should not be worried. They should come to the stadium on Sunday in their numbers and cheer us on. As players, we are prepared and ready to fight for them, and give them joy at the end of the match," the defender stated.
Coach Nabbi says the team has prepared well for the match and are ready, the weight of history pushing them forward.
"We divided our preparation in three parts; the first one is the physical readiness of the players, the second one is studying the opponent and knowing their strengths and weaknesses and the third is to create a good game plan to win this match. We have done that well and we are ready," the coach noted.
He will miss the services of midfielder Khalid Aucho, who is suspended for the game, but the tactician says they have enough cover to ensure his absence will not be hugely felt. The Ugandan international has been a key figure for Yanga in their run up to the final, and his absence will be a blow for the team's tactics.
While they will miss Aucho, one player they are looking on to deliver the goods against Alger is their Congolese forward Fiston Mayele. He has been involved in nine goals in 10 matches, scoring six and assisting three.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
"We are lucky to have Fiston in the team. He is one of the best strikers in the continent at the moment. His experience and that of other players will really help us in the match," said the tactician.
He admits he will expect a difficult duel against Alger, noting they have shown their qualities as a team and will not be a walk in the park.
Assistant skipper Job shares the same sentiments. "We know it will be difficult. But the coaches have given us their plan and what they expect to be done in the pitch. What remains now is for us as players to get into the pitch and fight to get a good result," he says.
