Mngqithi Addresses Reports of Fallout with Aziz Ki After Leaving Young Africans

South African coach Manqoba Mngqithi has spoken out about reports that he fell out with Young Africans star midfielder Stephane Aziz Ki. He did so in an interview on Metro FM’s Sports Night Amplified with Andile Ncube. Mngqithi recently left the Tanzanian club after a short stay.

He said the problem was not about whether he played Aziz. “I don’t think the issue revolves around me playing Aziz, and I would be lying if I said that; I don’t want to create the wrong impression,” Mngqithi said. He added that club management already knew Aziz would be important for the team. “What I can tell you, what I think is the case is that it is possible Aziz might have spoken to some members of management to indicate that he would not like to play in my system.”

Mngqithi joined Young Africans in July 2026. He left on 24 October after about three and a half months. In that time the team won the Community Shield and reached the CAF Champions League group stage. They had a good overall record, but they lost a derby to rivals Simba and later drew a league game. That left them five points behind Simba in the standings. The club then ended his contract and also parted ways with fitness coach Tshephang Mokaila.

Mngqithi has said the exit was more about principles than results. He spoke about problems with discipline at the club. He said it was normal for some players not to come to training and that there were few consequences. He believes clubs must hold players accountable for their work. He said he could not accept that kind of behaviour and that these issues caused tension with management.

On Aziz, who joined late and missed pre-season, Mngqithi said his concerns were about the player’s fitness and readiness for the system. He denied that management forced him to play Aziz. He also said people should not give the player power he may not have had.

Many fans are still talking about whether Mngqithi was treated fairly. His comments show he believes deeper problems inside the club played a bigger role than any single player or the results on the field.

Source: https://x.com/KickOffMagazine/status/2115724653645762748

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