Gwambina FC’s Zahera: I miss passionate love from Yanga SC fans

Mwinyi Zahera has revealed he misses the passionate love he was accorded by Young Africans (Yanga SC) fans during his time at the club.

The Congolese tactician left the Jangwani Street-based giants at the start of the second round of the Mainland Premier League last season with the team opting to hire Belgian Luc Eymael, whom they later fired when the season concluded with the team winning no silverware.

Zahera has already returned to Tanzania and will this time around handle promoted side Gwambina FC, who hired him in the technical director’s role.

Despite having a new role, Zahera has admitted he still misses the love of Yanga fans adding, that most of them loved him dearly during his coaching period at the club.

“To say the truth, I can say 98 percent of Yanga fans had passionate love to me… only a few of them admitted they were given money to insult me and damage my reputation,” Zahera is quoted by Daily News.

“Two of them [supporters] came to me to ask for forgiveness for what they had done. They told me everything about what had happened to reach that stage of insulting and stoning me.”

Zahera also revealed the reason why he used to wear shorts during league matches, a move that at one time landed him in trouble with the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF).

“I am used to European weather, which is usually cold, and when I came here; I could not easily cope with the hot weather that is why wearing shorts was my preference,” Zahera continued.

“Even the former Simba coach Patrick Aussems used to have a towel with him during matches to simply wipe sweat from his body as a result of hot weather.”

Zahera went on record as the only coach to have used his own money to facilitate Yanga’s travel during the 2018/19 season when they were facing financial difficulties.

He has already started work at Gwambina as he helped the team to sign 12 players, among them goalkeepers Mohamed Makaka from Ruvu Shooting and Stali Nyambe from Buildcon FC of Zambia, while defenders include Aron Lulambo from KMC, Moric Mahela from Stand United, and Baraka Mtui 'Popa' from Ruvu Shooting FC.

Other are Novartus Lufunga who served Lipuli, Said Mkange from Sahare FC while strikers include Paul Nonga from Lipuli, Lameck Daniel from Biashara United, Japhet Makalai from Kagera Sugar, and Miraji Saleh, who formerly served Stand United.

Gwambina were promoted to the Tanzanian Mainland Premier League from the First Division League (FDL) after they beat Pamba FC 1-0 in their final match of the season.

The club, which was only founded a year ago, earned promotion with two matches to spare as they had accumulated 44 points from 20 matches.

Gwambina won 13 games, drew in five and lost in two other matches. 

Gwambina were promoted alongside Ihefu and Dodoma Jiji while Mbao FC were relegated alongside Alliance FC, Lipuli FC, Ndanda FC, and Singida United.