Yanga President Engineer Hersi Said has won yet another tough transfer battle, successfully signing the talented Guinean midfielder Moussa Balla Conte from CS Sfaxien.
You could say that once again, Hersi pulled off a ‘mafia move’ in securing the midfielder who already had a pre-agreement with Simba SC.
It wasn’t easy to capture the midfielder, especially considering he was the first-choice target of Simba’s coach Fadlu Davids, who had initiated efforts to sign him as early as January during the mid-season window.
Yanga’s decision to sign Conte was driven by their preparations for next season, where they are determined to perform well in the CAF Champions League.
With Yanga preparing to part ways with Khalid Aucho, signing Conte is a strategic advantage. Despite his young age, Conte has gained international experience playing for CS Sfaxien and Guinea's national team.
If you want to gauge a player’s value, look at how hard clubs fight to sign him. Yanga secured Conte ahead of Simba, Esperance, and Pyramids, although the latter two joined the race late.
By the time other clubs reached Tunisia to inquire about the midfielder, GSM had already paid the full transfer fee to CS Sfaxien, while Simba got stuck trying to negotiate a two-installment payment plan.
Conte is a natural defensive midfielder with all the attributes needed for that role. He’s effective in shielding the defense and capable of initiating plays, much like Aucho.
The big advantage of having him in Aucho’s place is that he’s still young, energetic, and able to handle many matches without recurring injury concerns.
