Newly appointed Young Africans SC coach Manqoba Mngqithi has opened up about his move to Tanzania and the prospect of facing fellow South African coach Steve Barker when his side takes on Simba SC in the Kariakoo Derby.
Mngqithi parted ways with Arrows at the end of the 2025/26 season after guiding the club to a sixth-place finish in the Betway Premiership.
He said Young Africans had been pursuing his services for a long time, and he felt it was the right time to make the move.
“For me, it’s an opportunity that one would always wish to grab with both hands and see how far it can take you. So, I’m excited,” Mngqithi told iDiski Times Senior Journalist Matshelane Mamabolo.
“They’ve been really pushing to get me for the longest time. I think this time around, it was just the right time for that opportunity to happen.
“It was very easy because this time around I was not engaged with anyone. So, I felt, let me give this one a go because it’s a club that has got everything that it takes to compete at the highest level.
“Also, for me, what was the most fascinating was that I found them to be very good human beings. That’s why I decided to give them a chance and let me push. Let me give it a go and see how far I can take it.”
He also expressed his delight at the prospect of facing off against fellow South African coach Steve Barker, who leads Simba SC, when the two sides meet in the derby.
“You are a hundred percent right. It is an exciting prospect. And I do get why it is something people will look forward to keenly.”
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