Mngqithi Breaks Silence On Yanga Exit! Aziz Ki Revelation And Dressing-Room Issues Emerge

South African football coach Manqoba Mngqithi has finally opened up about his shock departure from Tanzanian giants Young Africans SC, revealing that his exit was driven by differences over professional principles, discipline and the direction of the club rather than simply results on the pitch.

The former Mamelodi Sundowns mentor spent only three months in charge of Yanga before the club ended his tenure. His departure came despite a promising start that included winning the Tanzanian Community Shield, securing qualification for the CAF Champions League group stages and recording 10 victories in 13 matches across all competitions.

Speaking during an interview on Metro FM’s Sports Night Amplified with Andile Ncube, Mngqithi explained that there were certain things he could not compromise, even if doing so meant losing his position.

“I would say it was just a matter of principles. It was at a stage where I wanted to make sure that my principles, beliefs and ethics stayed intact, and that basically was the reason why we parted ways,” Mngqithi explained.

His comments have provided a clearer picture of the disagreements that reportedly developed during his short spell in Tanzania.

One of the strongest issues raised by Mngqithi concerned the level of professionalism within the Yanga setup.

The experienced coach suggested that players missing training sessions without facing sufficient disciplinary consequences had become a problem. He believes that footballers must be held accountable for their responsibilities, regardless of their reputation or importance to the team.

“The team needs to improve that level of professionalism. At Yanga, it's normal for a player not to come to training, and there are not many disciplinary actions, and I think those aspects are fundamentally destroying the club,” he said.

Mngqithi added that his expectations regularly created disagreements with the club's leadership because he could not accept a situation where players failed to fulfil their duties without consequences.

His remarks suggest that the differences went beyond tactical decisions and touched on the broader management of the football department.

Mngqithi also addressed speculation surrounding his relationship with Burkina Faso international Stephane Aziz Ki.

Reports had suggested that disagreements involving the influential midfielder contributed to tensions at the club. However, the South African coach was careful not to place the entire responsibility for his departure on the player.

He suggested that Aziz Ki may have communicated reservations about playing in his tactical system to members of the club's management.

“I don't think the issue revolves around me playing Aziz, and I would be lying if I said that; I don't want to create the wrong impression,” he explained.

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