Former Young Africans coach Manqoba Mngqithi has looked back on his departure from the Tanzanian club and raised a possible involvement of Burkinabè midfielder Stephane Aziz Ki, without presenting it as a certainty.
Manqoba Mngqithi spoke on Metro FM, on the show Sports Night Amplified with Andile Ncube, about his departure from Young Africans. The coach left the Tanzanian club in October 2026, after around three months in charge, according to GhanaMMA.
In that interview, he notably addresses the matter of Stephane Aziz Ki, the team’s Burkinabè midfielder. He gives his version of events while making clear it is a possibility, not a certainty. For its part, the club announced his departure without publicly confirming that a dispute involving the player was the reason.
A hypothesis about Aziz Ki
Manqoba Mngqithi first stated that the issue did not revolve around him playing Aziz Ki: “I don’t think the issue revolves around me playing Aziz, and I would be lying if I said that; I don’t want to create the wrong impression.” Those remarks were reported by GhanaMMA.
He then puts forward a personal hypothesis: “What I can tell you, what I think is the case, is that it is possible Aziz might have spoken to some members of management to indicate that he would not like to play in my system.” According to him, the player may have approached certain members of the management to indicate that he would not like to play in his system. The coach presents this eventuality as a possibility, not a certainty.
A solid record on the pitch
On the pitch, Manqoba Mngqithi’s spell in charge of Young Africans was marked by positive results. Under his leadership, the club won the Community Shield and qualified for the group stage of the CAF Champions League.
In 13 matches across all competitions, the team recorded 10 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat, according to the figures cited by GhanaMMA.
The pressure is said to have mounted, however, after a 2-1 defeat to rivals Simba SC and a 0-0 draw against TRA United. Those results left Young Africans five points behind Simba in the league.
What next for Young Africans
The club announced Manqoba Mngqithi’s departure without publicly confirming that a dispute involving Stephane Aziz Ki was the reason. The explanation put forward by the coach therefore remains, at this stage, his personal version of events.
Young Africans must now prepare for their upcoming fixtures in the CAF Champions League and the Tanzanian league. The name of Manqoba Mngqithi’s successor has not been communicated in the available information.