New Yanga SC coach Kaze happy to lead ‘biggest brand in Africa’

New Young Africans (Yanga SC) coach Cedric Kaze has promised to entertain the club's fans after arriving in Dar es Salaam to take charge of the record league champions.

After Goal exclusively reported the Jangwani giants had settled to hire the coach after the exit of Serbian Zlatko Krmpotic after only 37 days in charge, the Burundian tactician finally arrived on Thursday night and will be unveiled anytime this week ahead of their next Mainland Premier League match.

Kaze has revealed his delight at getting the job to handle one of the ‘biggest brands’ in East Africa and even the whole of Africa, and promised to achieve bigger things with the Jangwani giants.

“I am very happy to here,” Kaze told reporters on arriving at the Julius Nyerere International Airport. “I am also very proud to be the coach of Yanga, one of the biggest teams in Tanzania, East Africa, and even across Africa.

“I have received a lot of congratulation messages from several quarters for accepting to take up the job and I promise them I will not disappoint, I now know that Yanga is a big brand, and urge all those associated with the club to pull together and support the team as we achieve more success in the coming years.”

Yanga media officer Hassan Bumbuli explained why the club had settled to hire Kaze, immediately they parted ways with Krmpotic, who had won four matches from the five played, with one ending in a draw.

“Like people have been saying in social media, it is now official that Cedric [Kaze] is the new man to coach Yanga, because we have reached an agreement for him to take over and we are happy to have him here," Bumbuli said earlier.

“I have talked to the coach on several occasions before he came to the country and he told me a lot of things, he told me several things on the players, and so it means he was already following the team even while in Canada.

“He knows Yanga very well, not only this season but even the past season because he knows a lot about the team, he knows and also understands the philosophies of Yanga and he also told me is main target when he takes charge is to return the passing football back to Yanga.

“Kaze wants Yanga to possess and pass the ball more, he wants to play the style Johan Cruff introduced to Barcelona during his time, the ‘tiki-taka’ style, and we want to welcome him on board.”

Kaze is an experienced African coach who holds a Caf A License. He started his coaching career as an assistant to Armas Niyamugambo at Prince Louis Rwagasore FC.

He was confirmed as the head coach for the 2005/06 season and his team finished second to Vital’O. He left and joined Atletico FC for the 2006/07 season and he helped the club remain among the top four sides in four seasons in charge.

Kaze was named Burundi’s coach of the season twice; in 2008/09 and in the 2011/12 seasons, although his side finished second.

He lifted the Ligue A title in the 2010/11 campaign.

Kaze has six days to prepare the team for their next league match against Tanzania Prisons at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on October 22.