Hersi Said outlines Young Africans critical priorities for new season

Tanzania Mainland Premier League champions Young Africans (Yanga SC) President Engineer Hersi Said has revealed key areas that must be addressed ahead of the new 2025/26 season.

Having won the domestic double last campaign, Said has further emphasised the club’s plans to continue dominating the local scene. Yanga won their fourth Premier League title on the final day of the season after defeating rivals Simba SC 2-0.

They capped off the season with the Federation Cup trophy after downing Singida Black Stars 2-0 in the final. According to Said, Yanga is rebuilding a squad capable of helping them to retain their domestic titles while making a deeper impact in CAF competitions.

“Our main objective is not only to continue dominating the domestic league but also to compete at the highest level in Africa. To achieve that, we must focus on three key aspects: signing experienced players, strengthening our technical bench to match the quality of the squad, and retaining our core players,” said Said as quoted by Daily News.

“We have a debt to our fans and members to defend all the titles we won last season and to go even further in international competitions. That requires serious investment. Without investing, there is no success.”

Said continued: “We’ve had some great players over the past four years, but our international performance hasn’t matched our potential. We are always starting over with new signings because some players leave for new challenges or are sold. That disrupts consistency, which is very important in CAF competitions.”

On keeping key players, he said: “We’re working hard to retain all vital players. Whether they are under contract or have just finished, we believe continuity is key. I can promise our fans that they will understand the rationale behind our signings once we begin unveiling them.”

Apart from the two titles, Yanga claimed the Community Shield and Muungano Cup, which were previously held by Simba, and further won the Toyota Cup during their pre-season preparations in South Africa.