Tanzania- How Young Africans Rose To Continental Giants
July 24, 2023
By Prosper Makene
Young Africans were unfortunate finalists at the 2023 CAF Cup
Tanzania’s football champions, Young Africans Sports Club, commonly referred to as Yanga based at Jangwani Street in Dar es Salaam in the 2022/23 season made a triumph of strategies and ultimately become the most successful club in East and Central Africa under the Tunisian Coach Nasreddine.
The East African giant football club which plays their home games at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam for the first time in May this year made history by qualifying for a Continental final after defeating South Africans Marumo Gallants in the semi-final, but the Jangwani Boys lost the 2023 CAF Confederation Cup final against Algerians USM Alger on an away goal.
Founded in 1935, Young Africans made light of their work in the CAF Confederation Cup quarter-final after recording a 2-0 away victory against Rivers of Nigeria.
In a match that was played at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, Nigeria, Yanga scored all two goals through striker Fiston Mayele in the second half.
However, the Tanzania football club which ranked among the top ten clubs in Africa, at number 9, by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) in their May 1, 2022 – April 30, 2023 rankings is making major transfers to gain more success in 2023/24 football season.
A powerful blend of players from Tanzania and other African countries is producing excellent results
After parting ways with their Tunisian head Coach, Tanzania Premier League record champions Yanga have announced the appointment of Argentine Miguel Angel Gamondi as their new head coach.
The 56-year-old Argentines international coach takes over the controls from Nasreddine Nabi, who bid farewell to the club after observing the Dar es Salaam giants won 29 Tanzania Premier League titles and a number of domestic cups as well as participated in multiple CAF Champions League editions.
Young Africans who have also won the CECAFA Club Championship five times, are in the final stages to announce the new signings so as to make a prosperous 2023/24 season.
The Yellow and green club is currently in a process that will keep the club ownership at 49 per cent for investors and the rest 51 per cent will go to the club fans.
The Tanzanian current football champions holds a long-standing rivalry with their cross-city rivals Simba Sports Club which is also one of the best clubs in Africa.
Young Africans and Simba SC’s derby which is also known as Kariakoo derby was ranked 5th as one of the most famous African derbies.
Young Africans Sports Club's roots
The club's roots can be traced as far back as the 1910s, but the officially recognised history of the club started in 1935 when Dar es Salaam residents, who were grouped as Africans by the colonial administration in Tanganyika, decided to form a football club to compete in a league which was full of "non-African" football clubs. The name New Young is said to be the club's first name. Later it was replaced by the name Dar es Salaam Young Africans SC, and eventually, the name changed to Young Africans Sports Club.
After its establishment in 1935, its members squabbled over their team's poor performance and results. The club had an even poorer and unsatisfactory performance in 1936 which caused some of the members to split and form another team.
The proponents of breaking away were Arabs who saw fit to cause conflict among the club members which led to a split. They succeeded, and together with dissidents formed a club known as Queens F.C. (currently Simba). The two teams, Young Africans and Simba, have been rivals ever since.
Uganda Cranes Midfielder Khalid Aucho has extended his contract with Tanzania Premier League side Young Africans Sports Club until 2024 .
Young Africans deal with La Liga
In 2020, La Liga La entailed a deal they signed with Tanzanian giants Young Africans. La Liga, in conjunction with Sevilla, entered into a historic strategic consultancy agreement deal that targets to help the record Tanzanian league champions transform in various development aspects.
The deal with La Liga is one of the decisions made by Young Africans sports club's fans move to change their club's ruling structure to allow private investments from other companies.
Young Africans players for 2023/24
Goalkeepers
Mali international Djigui Diarra (worth €200,000), Tanzanians Metacha Mnata (worth € 50,000) and Abuutwalib Mshary.
