Editorial

Yanga need stronger leadership

MANAGEMENT of football clubs in Tanzania leaves a lot to be desired and certainly, there is no hope for change any time soon. There is no hope that in the near future local clubs will be operated profitably basing on the kind of leaders, who keep recycling themselves year in year out. 

Certainly, hardly new ideas will come from them. For instance, what could potentially be a gold mine underneath the soccer giants in Tanzania - that is, Simba and Young Africans - from a marketing perspective, will remain untapped, simply because of the kind of leaders who are given mandate to run the clubs.

It’s a bare fact that Simba and Yanga are big names and brands not only in Tanzania but all over Africa but the two clubs have not fully recognized and utilized their full economical and marketing potential and the problem lies in ignorance and fear of change. The club leaders lack bravery to bring about changes even by risking losing their posts.

There are also club elders who are not willing to embrace change, simply because they are afraid of losing their traditional roles in the club, the fact that has left the clubs completely handicapped.  The clubs continue to depend on handouts from the so called sponsors, which should not be the case any way.

It is sad that Simba and Yanga, who have been around for close to 80 years now, are not run as established institutions but like private companies owned by a family. And, this suggests that the two clubs will never progress anywhere if the way they are doing things is left unchecked.  To check this, requires commitment by members to bring in new leaders who would think in the modern way of running clubs. Simba and Yanga boast of a huge fan base than many other clubs in Africa.

They need learned and sharp minded leaders, who have got the will to develop the clubs both economically and professionally. For instance, the current wind at Yanga ahead of the forthcoming elections set for Sunday doesn’t inspire any confidence that change will actually come at the Jangwani Street. 

The package of potential leaders who served the club in various capacities in the past are also eying the top posts, while the new faces hold little confidence in transforming the club to better fortunes. Yanga members should be warned and they should use their votes wisely. They should carefully weigh sweet words used by those lining up for the posts at their club. Yanga need new crop of leaders with new ideas to take the club to another level, where we believe it belongs.