Coach Pedro Gonçalves has emerged as a savior for Yanga after his predecessor, Romain Folz, struggled and was swiftly dismissed by the club’s management.
Folz, who was unveiled by Yanga in July 2025, had his contract terminated in October 2025 after leading the team in six competitive matches, winning four, drawing one, and losing one — a run that also saw him win the Community Shield. In the league, he started with a win and then a draw from his two matches.
After his departure, Pedro took over and restored joy at Yanga by winning all four league matches under his leadership. He has also started well in continental action, registering one win and one draw, placing Yanga level on four points with Egypt’s Al Ahly in Group B of the CAF Champions League.
However, Pedro now faces a challenge that defeated the two coaches before him — Miloud Hamdi and Folz — a challenge left behind by Sead Ramovic, who departed after 10 matches, including six in the Premier League, during a season in which Yanga failed to progress beyond the Champions League group stage (2024–2025).
The problem Ramovic left behind — which Hamdi and Folz also failed to solve — is achieving a long streak of consecutive early-season wins in the Premier League.
What Ramovic achieved in his first six league matches at Yanga is something even Miguel Gamondi couldn’t manage during his first season (2023–2024). Nasreddine Nabi also failed to achieve it in his first season (2021–2022).
Still, these coaches left behind good memories by winning titles and taking the team far internationally. Nabi led Yanga to the CAF Confederation Cup final in the 2022–2023 season for the first time in the club’s history. Gamondi took Yanga to the CAF Champions League group stage in 2023–2024 for the first time in 25 years and reached the quarter-finals in the same campaign.
The win over Coastal Union, which Yanga won 1–0, marked Pedro’s fourth consecutive Premier League victory since taking charge. He now needs 180 minutes — or two more league matches — to equal Ramovic’s record.
Ramovic set the record by winning all six league matches he managed during the 2024–2025 season after taking over from Gamondi, defeating Namungo (2–0), Mashujaa (3–2), Tanzania Prisons (4–0), Dodoma Jiji (4–0), Fountain Gate (5–0), and Kagera Sugar (4–0).
Pedro, meanwhile, has so far claimed league victories against Mtibwa Sugar (2–0), KMC (4–1), Fountain Gate (2–0), and Coastal Union (1–0).
Hamdi, who took over from Ramovic during the 2024–2025 season, began his tenure with a goalless draw against JKT Tanzania but went on to win the remainder of his matches and eventually retained the league title.
Folz managed only two league matches, starting with a win over Pamba Jiji and then drawing with Mbeya City before his journey ended.
Nabi, who joined Yanga on April 20, 2021, began with a defeat to Azam but quickly turned things around, eventually leading the club to multiple domestic titles and setting a record 49-match unbeaten run in the league.
In his first season (2023–2024), Gamondi guided Yanga to three straight victories — beating KMC (5–0), JKT Tanzania (5–0), and Namungo (1–0) — before suffering a 2–1 away loss to Ihefu (now Singida Black Stars).
In his second season (2024–2025), Gamondi began with eight consecutive league wins over Kagera (2–0), KenGold (1–0), KMC (1–0), Pamba Jiji (4–0), Simba (1–0), JKT Tanzania (2–0), Coastal (1–0), and Singida Black Stars (1–0).
However, back-to-back defeats to Azam (1–0) and Tabora United (3–1), now known as TRA United, ended his time at Yanga, paving the way for Ramovic — the same coach whose record Pedro is now trying to match.
Source: Mwanaspoti
