Fresh off his monumental unveiling as the new head coach of East African giants Young Africans SC (Yanga), South African tactical mastermind Manqoba Mngqithi has dropped a massive bombshell regarding his heavily rumored link to the Naturena hot seat.
Speaking in an exclusive, unfiltered interview with seasoned broadcaster Thabiso Mosia on Radio 2000, the former Mamelodi Sundowns strategist explicitly confirmed that Kaizer Chiefs aggressively tried to secure his signature on multiple occasions. However, he revealed that an unnamed individual working behind the scenes repeatedly ran a sabotage campaign to block the historic appointment.
“I Know Who It Is” — Inside the Failed Naturena Talks
Mngqithi did not hold back when detailing just how close he was to wearing the gold and black, pointing out that his relationship with the club’s highest hierarchy was entirely respectful.
- The Motaung Connection: The 55-year-old tactician revealed he held direct, highly cordial discussions with Amakhosi Chairman Kaizer Motaung Snr, who has long admired his coaching philosophy.
- The Blockade: Despite the mutual interest, Mngqithi stated the deal was cut short before financial packages could even be drawn up. “Kaizer Chiefs did have interest in me. But someone blocked the move, and I know who it is. It never reached any fruition because there are people who block these moves,” Mngqithi exposed.
- The Smear Campaign: The veteran coach explained that gatekeepers weaponized negative opinions to poison the board’s perception. “There are people who always find ways to speak negatively about a person. Kaizer Chiefs never got to the point of negotiating terms because someone blocked it.”*
A Decade-long Pursuit with Zero Regrets
Remarkably, the recent pre-season scramble wasn’t the first time Amakhosi missed out on the former Golden Arrows boss. Mngqithi disclosed that Kaizer Chiefs’ tracking of his career dates back over a decade, stretching to the period right before he initially joined Pitso Mosimane’s technical bench at Chloorkop in 2014.
Despite the boardroom drama, the newly minted Yanga boss insisted he harbors absolute zero bitterness. Fully locked in on defending Yanga’s Ligi Kuu Bara title and conquering the CAF Champions League, Mngqithi made it clear that while Naturena remains an unfinished chapter, his focus is firmly anchored on delivering silverware in Dar es Salaam.
