Young Africans coach Manqoba Mngqithi targets Champions League glory

Young Africans coach Manqoba Mngqithi has warned Africa’s leading clubs that his ambition is to win the CAF Champions League after taking charge of the Tanzanian giants.

The South African joined Yanga ahead of the 2026/27 season and has quickly set out his intentions, insisting he is not interested in simply making up the numbers in Africa’s premier club competition.

Yanga have made a strong start domestically and currently sit top of the Tanzanian Premier League on 15 points, level with rivals Simba SC, coached by Steve Barker.

Their attention is also firmly on continental football, with Mngqithi’s side holding the advantage of an away goal after a 1-1 draw with Gaborone United in the first preliminary round of the Champions League on Saturday.

Yanga will host the Botswana champions in the second leg in Tanzania next weekend, with a place in the next round at stake.

Mngqithi is confident his side can complete the job at home, but it was his ambitions beyond the preliminary rounds that drew the most attention after the first leg.

“I want to win it and keep those words. I want to win it,” Mngqithi told reporters.

“I’m not competing in the Champions League for fun. I want to win it, and I believe I’ve got a team that can win it.”

The 54-year-old has extensive experience of the competition from his long spell with Mamelodi Sundowns.

Mngqithi was part of the Sundowns technical team that won the Champions League in 2016, before gaining further experience in the competition during his years with the South African club.

He will now look to use that experience to guide Young Africans towards a deep run and potentially challenge the continent’s established giants.

With the second leg against Gaborone United approaching, Mngqithi’s immediate task is to ensure Yanga avoid an early exit.

But the South African has made his ultimate objective clear: he wants to lead the Tanzanian champions all the way to the Champions League title.