Dar es Salaam. When Hersi Said and his team took over the leadership of Yanga SC, they made five bold promises to members and supporters of the club.
Years later, in front of a jubilant crowd gathered at the club’s headquarters in Jangwani, Hersi stood firm and gave a public scorecard of those promises.
With confidence and conviction, he revealed that four of the five promises had been fulfilled some even beyond expectations while one crucial promise remains a work in progress.
Among the key pledges was to modernize the club’s operations and transition Yanga from a traditionally run sports organization to a professionally managed institution.
According to Hersi, this transformation is well underway. Today, Yanga operates with a more structured administrative framework, driven by professionalism and long-term planning.
He assured members that very soon, they would get a full picture of the club’s financial worth, signaling a move toward transparency, commercialization, and potential privatization.
The second milestone has been the strengthening of the squad. Over the past four seasons, Yanga has built one of the most competitive teams in East and Central Africa.
The club has dominated domestic football, winning all available trophies and even reaching the final of the CAF Confederation Cup in 2023.
Hersi emphasized that such success was not accidental but a result of meticulous scouting, investment in quality players, and stability within the technical bench.
Another fulfilled promise has been financial independence. Yanga is no longer heavily reliant on a single benefactor or erratic fundraising efforts.
Instead, the club now boasts several robust sponsorship deals from brands like GSM, SportPesa, Azam TV, and others.
These partnerships have allowed Yanga to operate efficiently paying salaries on time, conducting high-level training camps, and executing successful transfers without budgetary crises.
Equally notable is the unity and engagement among the club’s members and supporters.
Hersi and his leadership team have emphasized inclusivity, opening more platforms for fans to voice their opinions and participate in the club’s growth.
The vibrant parades, trophy celebrations, and record-breaking membership drives are all a reflection of a connected, proud and active fanbase.
The club has successfully transformed its supporters into stakeholders a major cultural shift in Tanzanian football.
Yet, amid all these achievements, one major promise remains: the construction of Yanga’s own modern stadium. Hersi did not shy away from addressing this.
He admitted that while the project has not yet broken ground, significant progress has been made.
The Tanzanian government has officially granted the club permission to utilize land at the club’s Jangwani base for stadium development.
This milestone clears a critical bureaucratic hurdle and sets the foundation for what could be Yanga’s biggest infrastructure leap.
The proposed stadium is not just about having a home ground.
Hersi outlined a vision of a comprehensive sports complex that includes training grounds, commercial zones, a youth academy, office spaces, and even a hotel.
It is a project designed to boost the club’s long-term revenue, attract international attention, and offer world-class facilities for both players and fans.
The fans gathered at Jangwani reacted with overwhelming support.
Every achievement mentioned by Hersi was met with cheers, chants, and a sense of collective pride.
For them, these promises represent more than words they symbolize the evolution of their club into a continental powerhouse.
Hersi reiterated that Yanga’s recent success is not a fluke but a product of deliberate planning, proper management, and consistent leadership.
His address came at a time when clarity was needed. With rumors circulating and speculation mounting, this public update restored trust and reaffirmed the direction in which the club is headed.
It was not just an evaluation of past commitments it was a reaffirmation of purpose.
Today, Yanga is no longer just a football club. It is an institution with the potential to lead East African football into a new era.
From professionalism to performance, from financial stability to strategic partnerships, Yanga stands as a model of what is possible when vision meets execution.
Although the stadium remains the final frontier, it is clear that the project is not a forgotten promise but rather the next priority.
With the momentum already created and government approval secured, it’s only a matter of time before the foundation is laid.
For supporters, the phrase “five promises, only one remains” is not a criticism it is a celebration of achievement. It is a reminder of how far the club has come and how close it is to achieving complete transformation.
As Yanga moves forward, the expectation is clear: the club must not only maintain its domestic dominance but also rise to conquer the continental stage.
The foundation has been laid, the promises are nearly complete and now, the future awaits.
