Former Mamelodi Sundowns and Golden Arrows head coach Manqoba Mngqithi has achieved another milestone with Young Africans after guiding the Tanzanian club to the CAF Champions League group stages.

Mngqithi has made a positive start to life at Yanga since taking charge of the club. He began his reign by winning the Community Shield and has now added another achievement by helping the team progress to the group stages of Africa's biggest club competition.

Young Africans secured their qualification after defeating Madagascan side CFFA 4-1 in the second leg of their second preliminary round tie on Wednesday. The result gave the Tanzanian giants an impressive 8-1 aggregate victory over their opponents.

Ibrahim Kazimoto opened the scoring in the 27th minute to give the home side an early advantage. Young Africans continued to control the match and increased their lead shortly after the interval.

Selemani Mwalimu scored twice in quick succession, finding the back of the net in the 49th and 53rd minutes. His two goals put Yanga in a comfortable position and made it increasingly difficult for CFFA to recover from the deficit.

The visitors managed to score a consolation goal in the 75th minute, but their hopes of making a comeback were quickly ended when teenager Juma Issa Abushuri scored in the 82nd minute to complete the 4-1 victory.

Young Africans became the first team to qualify for the CAF Champions League group stages this season after completing their second-leg fixture on Wednesday. The achievement gives Mngqithi an opportunity to lead his team against some of Africa's strongest clubs as they compete for continental honours.

Away from his success in Tanzania, Mngqithi has also made claims about his previous opportunity to coach Kaizer Chiefs in South Africa.

Manqoba Mngqithi claims he rejected an offer to coach Kaizer Chiefs because of the club’s proposed transfer budget.

According to Mngqithi, Amakhosi were prepared to provide R20 million to sign seven players, an amount he considered insufficient to strengthen the squad. He explained that during his time at Mamelodi Sundowns, R20 million could be used to sign one player from the PSL rather than seven. However, the reported details of the offer have not been independently confirmed.

The comments provide insight into Mngqithi's views on the financial resources required to build a competitive team. Kaizer Chiefs have been working to strengthen their squad as they aim to challenge for major trophies, while Mngqithi has continued his coaching career abroad.

His latest achievement with Young Africans adds to his experience in continental football. The challenge now will be to maintain the team's strong form when they face tougher opposition in the CAF Champions League group stages.

Source: IDiskiTimes