Mkwasa: Lwandamina’s job is safe

DAILY NEWS Reporter

Yanga head coach Zambian George Lwandamina

FORMER national football team, Taifa Stars Head Coach, Charles Boniface Mkwasa, has officially been unveiled the new General Secretary of the Mainland Premier League Champions Young Africans.

He has promised to deliver and help the mission to take the club places, especially at the international level. Mkwasa also assured the club fans and members that he will never interfere with the technical bench currently under Head Coach, Zambian George Lwandamina.

“I know some quarters will think that I’m coming back as a coach through the back door, in the sense that I will have direct control with the technical bench. “The club administrators should always desist from interfering with the technical bench.

I always believe in this theory and under my leadership, such a thing will never happen,” he said. Mkwasa becomes the sixth general secretary of the Jangwani Street club under the leadership of Yusuf Manji, who came to power almost five years ago.

He called for support from club members, fans and fellow leaders, saying they should all aim at ensuring the club register positive development both on and off the pitch. Speaking to the press yesterday, Yanga’s Vice-Chairman Clement Sanga said the decision had been arrived at by the club’s executive committee meeting held in Dar es Salaam recently.

Sanga said Mkwasa who was relieved off national team duty a month ago, will assume his new role at the club today. He said that they have appointed Mkwasa to strengthen the club’s leadership, adding that Baraka Deusdedit, who was Acting General Secretary, will assume his previous role at the club - Director of Finance.

“Many will wonder why Mkwasa is appointed to take administrative role at the club, while he is well known as a professional coach ... I assure them that he (Mkwasa) has the capacity and experience to deliver as an administrator,” Sanga said.

For the past five years, at least seven secretary generals have served the club including the current General Secretary of the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF), Celestine Mwesigwa, who left the club in 2012.

Mwesigwa was replaced by former club’s right fullback Lawrence Mwalusako, who took over in September 2012, serving the club for at least one year. In December 2013, Benno Njovu joined the club as new SG before he left in November 2014.

He was replaced by Dr Jonas Tiboroha, who served until January 2016 before he stepped down. His place was taken over by Baraka Deusdedit on acting role, until Mkwasa was appointed yesterday. Mkwasa took charge of Taifa Stars’ technical bench in mid 2015, replacing Dutch tactician, Mart Nooij.

However, Mkwasa parted ways with Taifa Stars unceremoniously. His contract as the Taifa Stars coach was to expire in March, this year, but last month, TFF relieved him from his duties, appointing Mtibwa Sugar Coach, Salum Mayanga as Taifa Stars Caretaker Coach.