Yanga tactician admits facing difficult season

Dar es Salaam. As the largest betting firm in the country, SportPesa has handed over a Young Africans (Yanga) check worth Sh405 million for winning various titles in the last season, the team’s new head coach, Miguel Gamondi, admitted to facing a huge task to attain the success of his predecessor, Nasreddine Nabi.

Apart from winning the NBC Premier League and Azam Federation Cup, Yanga also won a silver medal in the CAF Confederation Cup after losing on away goal rule to USM Alger of Algeria.

SportPesa Tanzania’s Head of Corporate Communications, Sabrina Msuya, handed over a dummy chaque to Yanga’s president, Hersi Saidi, in the brief ceremony held at the Serena Hotel.

Msuya praised the Yanga’s management for a glorious season. She said they are very proud to hand over to the team such a huge amount of money as part of their sponsorship obligation to the club.

She said SportPesa Tanzania appreciates the partnership with the club and harboured hope that the team and officials will be spurred to add another title next year.

"First and foremost, I would like to congratulate everyone at Yanga for making their fans proud, let alone SportPesa as their main sponsor. We now fulfill one of the promises we committed ourselves to, when we signed the sponsorship agreement with this club a year ago by handing over Sh405 million as a bonus for all members of the team who made this success possible," said Msuya. Yanga’s President, Saidi, thanked the firm for respecting their contract and promised to continue winning trophies in the coming seasons.

"We are very proud to have SportPesa as our main sponsor, and we thank them for the support they have shown us this season. They helped prepare well for this season from the management level all the way to the technical bench, and that’s why we were able to win the title," he said.

Meanwhile, Yanga’s new trainer, Miguel Gamondi, admitted that he has a big task to attain and exceed Yanga’s last-season success under head coach Nasreddine Nabi.

Gamondi said that the only reason he joined the club was to take them to the next level of development, despite the fact that he would face a new environment.

"It is not easy, but it is possible, I had many offers, but I have decided to join the team due to its huge history and greatest achievement. My task is to take the team beyond that," he said.

He explained that he expects to have the best team this season due to player registration exercises.

The Argentine coach said he is aware that he is watched by every footballer to see what Yanga will attain under his tutelage.

"I still haven't had the chance to meet with the players, but I have asked for the chance to start the camp early, I am new to the squad, and I need to see the quality of each player so I know what kind of people I will work with," he said.