YOUNG Africans SC (Yanga) are expected to offer head coach Miloud Hamdi a new long-term contract following his impressive performance since taking over the team mid-season.

Hamdi (pictured), who replaced Sead Ramovic after the latter departed for CR Belouizdad, signed a short-term deal that officially expired on June 30.

However, his remarkable impact guiding Young Africans to three major domestic titles has prompted the club’s management to reconsider his stay. The  club president Engineer Hersi Said confirmed that a new long-term contract is being prepared for the Algerian tactician.

“Coach Hamdi has done a tremendous job in a very short period,” said Hersi. “We are in the process of finalizing a new long-term agreement with him. He has proved to be the right man to lead us forward.”

Hamdi expressed gratitude to the Young Africans faithful for their unwavering support, especially during a celebratory victory parade held in Jangwani, Dar es Salaam, to mark the end of the 2024/25 season.

“I want to sincerely thank the Yanga fans,” said Hamdi. “Your love for this team is unmatched. You’ve supported us in every step and in every place we’ve gone.

“I’ve worked with many big clubs in my coaching career, but I can confidently say that Yanga fans are special. We’re here celebrating a successful season, and with this kind of love and support, we will keep fighting to ensure we meet here every season for more celebrations.”

Since his arrival, Hamdi has overseen 21 competitive matches for Young Africans, winning 20 and drawing just once - a staggering record that has seen the team lift the Muungano Cup, the Mainland Premier League title, and most recently, the Federation Cup.

In total, Young Africans finished the 2024/25 season with five trophies: the Toyota Cup, Community Shield, Muungano Cup, the Premier League, and the Federation Cup. 

These achievements not only underline Hamdi’s effectiveness but also mark one of the most successful seasons in the club’s history.

Despite the domestic triumph, President Hersi acknowledged that the team fell short on the continental stage. Young Africans failed to progress past the group stage of the CAF Champions League, something Hersi described as a major lesson for the club.

“We’ve had a great season five trophies in total but we slipped in the CAF Champions League,” he admitted. “That failure taught us valuable lessons that we must now use to improve.”

Hersi reassured club members and fans that a major rebuilding process is already underway to strengthen the team’s competitiveness in both domestic and international competitions.

“We are making serious preparations to ensure we perform well in all competitions next season, especially the CAF Champions League,” he said. “We want to ensure that the mistakes from last season are not repeated.”

With momentum on their side, Young Africans fans now have every reason to look ahead with optimism. All eyes are now on the club’s upcoming transfer activity, preseason preparations, and most importantly, their ambition to conquer the continent in the 2025/26 CAF Champions League.