Pitso Mosimane lands in Dar es Salaam for Yanga’s major announcement

Tanzanian giants Young Africans SC are poised to make a monumental announcement this Saturday, welcoming African coaching royalty Pitso Mosimane to Dar es Salaam for a special event focusing on youth development.

The reigning Tanzanian champions, affectionately known as Timu ya Wananchi, are set to launch the Young Africans Soccer Schools (YASS), an ambitious grassroots initiative aimed at restructuring their talent pipeline. The presence of the three-time CAF Champions League winner, Mosimane, underscores the significance and strategic intent behind the project.

Tapping Tanzania’s Youth Pool

Yanga SC CEO, Andre Mtine, explained the massive potential driving the new program, citing compelling population statistics.

“According to the 2022 population census, we have about 26 million Tanzanians aged 0-14,” explained Mtine. “Given that statistic, what does it say we could do for youth development, football? Even if you take just 1%, even 0.5% of that 26 million… you have a lot of kids that you could groom to play football going forward.”

The YASS initiative will initially target the Under-11s, Under-13s, and Under-15s age groups in Dar es Salaam.

Mirroring European Success

Mtine stressed that the vision extends beyond mere local development; Yanga aims to mirror the success models of top European clubs by developing players capable of entering the first team as young as 16 or 17.

“This is the vision of Young Africans. Develop talents from within. Capture them at a young age so that you can nurture them,” he added. “They can learn the ball skills very early… We have the population and the means. Most importantly, we have the talent.”

A Partnership With Pitso Mosimane

The most high-profile aspect of the launch is the confirmation of Mosimane’s attendance as a special guest. The celebrated coach’s presence aligns perfectly with the project, given his longstanding commitment to grassroots football, notably through his own thriving Soccer Schools in South Africa.

“I also wish to inform you that we have a pleasant surprise for you… we have a special guest who will be in attendance on Saturday, and that is Mr Pitso Mosimane,” Mtine announced.

Praising Mosimane as a “renowned coach all over Africa,” Mtine noted his experience in developing similar structures, confirming that Yanga seeks to “collaborate with him going forward and other such like institutions and persons.”