Former Mamelodi Sundowns and Golden Arrows head coach Manqoba Mngqithi has sealed a move to Tanzanian champions Young Africans, FARPost can confirm.
The experienced South African mentor signed his contract this week, ending an extensive coaching search that had linked several high-profile names with the Jangwani giants.
Although former Simba SC coach Fadlu Davids was a strong contender due to his familiarity with Tanzanian football, Yanga ultimately settled on Mngqithi. Algerian coach Kheïreddine Madoui and former Cape Town City FC mentor Eric Tinkler were also among those considered.
The 55-year-old mentor recently parted ways with Golden Arrows after guiding the KwaZulu-Natal outfit to an impressive sixth place. Although the season ended positively, it became clear that both parties would go their separate ways, with the veteran coach keen to explore opportunities outside South Africa.
He succeeds Portuguese coach Pedro Gonçalves, who was dismissed despite Yanga being at the summit of the league standings. He has since been appointed head coach at Moroccan powerhouse AS FAR Rabat.
Interim coach Abdihamid Moallin then guided Timu ya Wananchi to a fifth successive Tanzanian Premier League title, finishing just two points ahead of Steve Barker’s Simba SC.
YANGA TURN TO MNGQITHI IN SEARCH OF STABILITY
Mngqithi arrives at a club desperate to restore continuity after a turbulent spell in the dugout following Nasreddine Nabi’s departure in June 2023. In just a few seasons, the Dar es Salaam giants have gone through Miguel Gamondi, Sead Ramovic, Miloud Hamdi, Romain Folz, Patrick Mabedi [in an interim capacity], Pedro Gonçalves, and, most recently, Moallin as caretaker.
That revolving door has done little to dent Yanga’s domestic dominance. However, the club believes that Mngqithi’s experience, calm leadership and proven ability to build winning teams can provide the stability needed to sustain success at home and re-establish the Tanzanian giants as genuine contenders in the CAF Champions League.
The club’s ambitions stretch beyond retaining the league title. Last season’s group-stage exit from Africa’s premier club competition underlined the gap between domestic success and continental achievement, making a strong Champions League campaign a key priority.
SA BATTLE IN DAR ES SALAAM: MNGQITHI VS BARKER SET TO IGNITE TANZANIAN FOOTBALL
Mngqithi also walks into one of African football’s most compelling rivalries. His appointment means Tanzania’s two biggest clubs will now be led by South African coaches, with Steve Barker tasked with ending Young Africans’ five-year grip on the league title.
Barker made encouraging strides in his first season at Simba, lifting two domestic cup trophies and finishing only two points behind Yanga, suggesting the gap between the fierce rivals is beginning to narrow.
The arrival of Mngqithi sets the stage for a fascinating tactical duel between two respected South African coaches as they battle for supremacy in Tanzanian football. Mngqithi arrives in Tanzania with an impressive trophy haul.
He won eight Betway Premiership titles with Mamelodi Sundowns – five as Pitso Mosimane’s assistant, two as co-head coach alongside Rulani Mokwena. The eighth was won during Mokwena’s tenure as sole head coach, with Mngqithi serving as Senior Coach. He also guided Golden Arrows to MTN8 glory during his first spell at the club, with their memorable 6-0 demolition of Ajax Cape Town in 2009 still standing as the biggest winning margin in the competition’s final. Mngqithi was also part of the Sundowns technical team that delivered the club’s historic 2016 CAF Champions League triumph.
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