Why Yanga fired coach Pedro Gonçalves despite leading the league

Young Africans SC have officially parted ways with Portuguese coach Pedro Gonçalves just minutes after Yanga secured a 1-0 victory over KMC FC in the NBC Premier League on Wednesday, May 6.

The club confirmed the decision through an official statement, announcing that assistant coaches Abdihamid Moalin and Patrick Mabedi will take charge of the team until the end of the season.

 

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Although Yanga remain unbeaten in the league and sit five points ahead of rivals Simba SC with nine matches remaining, several issues reportedly influenced the club’s decision to dismiss the Portuguese tactician.

Failure to convince in big matches

One of the major reasons behind Gonçalves’ dismissal was his inability to secure victories against Simba in key matches this season.

Yanga failed to beat Simba in three meetings, including the recent 2-2 Kariakoo Derby draw where the defending champions surrendered a two-goal advantage before recovering. Despite maintaining their lead at the top of the table, many supporters and club officials were reportedly dissatisfied with the team’s performances in high-pressure fixtures.

The defeat to Simba in the final of the Muungano Cup also increased pressure on the coach, with fans expecting stronger displays against their traditional rivals.

Yanga’s premature CAF Champions League exit

Another key factor was Yanga’s early exit from the CAF Champions League group stage.

The Tanzanian champions failed to progress from a difficult Group B that featured Egyptian giants Al Ahly SC, Moroccan side AS FAR and Algeria’s JS Kabylie.

Group B campaign complete. Al Ahly FC and AS FAR secure qualification. ✅#TotalEnergiesCAFCL pic.twitter.com/D12nwItz13

— TotalEnergies CAFCL & CAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) February 15, 2026

Club insiders believed the team had the quality to compete better on the continental stage, and the group stage elimination raised concerns about the technical direction of the squad.

Declining performances despite positive results

While results in the league remained positive, Yanga’s performances had reportedly become unconvincing in recent months.

The team struggled to dominate matches in the manner they had done in previous seasons, and several draws in March created doubts among supporters. Even in Wednesday’s victory over bottom placed KMC, fans expressed frustration over the team’s style of play.

Supporters believe the club had lost its usual attacking identity, with performances becoming inconsistent despite collecting points.

Questionable tactical decisions

Gonçalves was also criticised for some of his tactical decisions and substitutions during matches.

During the KMC game, sections of Yanga supporters booed the coach after he substituted Yao Attohoula for Bubah Jammeh in the second half.

Fans and analysts had increasingly questioned his squad rotation, game management and inability to maintain the dominant football style associated with Yanga in recent seasons.

Despite leaving the club at the top of the league table and still competing for the CRDB Bank Federation Cup title, the pressure surrounding performances and expectations ultimately proved too much for Gonçalves to survive.