Yanga fire coach Gonçalves shortly after league victory

In a somewhat surprising decision, Tanzanian champions Young Africans Sports Club (Yanga SC) have fired head coach Pedro Gonçalves. The decision was announced by the club shortly after Wednesday’s 1-0 NBC Premier League victory over last place Kinondoni Municipal Council.

TAARIFA KWA UMMA#TimuYaWananchi #DaimaMbeleNyumaMwiko pic.twitter.com/pZrRYfLisE

— Young Africans SC (@YoungAfricansSC) May 6, 2026

The Portuguese coach took over in late October and had Young Africans at the top of the NBC Premier League table with an undefeated record from 21 matches at the time of his dismissal. Yanga currently lead rivals Simba SC by five points with nine rounds remaining in the league.

The two rivals squared off on Sunday in the Kariakoo Derby, where Young Africans came back from a two-goal deficit to draw 2-2 and maintain their lead at the top of the table. On Wednesday, the league leaders encountered some resistance from last place KMC but an Allan Okello goal in the second half was enough to secure victory.

Recent results provide hint at reasons behind Yanga’s sudden decision

While the performances of the club were not at their highest level, the results remained strong over the course of the league campaign which makes Wednesday evening’s decision a bit of a surprise. Yanga also remain in contention to win Tanzania’s CRDB Bank Federation Cup, where they are also the defending champions.

But there were some signs of lackluster play in recent months, which culminated in a defeat in the final by their rivals in the Muungano Cup (Union Cup) during a break in league action.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Azam Sports (@azamtvsports)

In March, Yanga were held to draws on four occasions as well and Gonçalves did fail to defeat rivals Simba in three matches.

And the results against their rivals may provide a clue to the logic behind the sacking of Gonçalves. The Portuguese tactician also failed to advance the Tanzanian champions beyond the group stage of the CAF Champions League, where they came short in Group B which included Egyptian giants Al Ahly, current finalists AS FAR Rabat of Morocco and Algeria’s JS Kabylie.

Assistant coaches Abdihamid Moalin and Patrick Mabedi will take charge on an interim basis as announced by the club. Their next fixture is on Saturday at home against Coastal Union in the NBC Premier League.

Gonçalves previously enjoyed a successful six-year spell with the Angola national team, leading the Palancas Negras to the quarterfinals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. By the time he departed in September 2025, he had set the record for most victories as coach of the national team.