After a triumphant debut season with Young Africans SC, winger Mahlatse Makudubela ponders his future in Tanzania.

He helped Yanga secure a league and cup double in the Tanzanian NBC Premier League, marking his first league title win.

Makudubela joined Yanga on a free transfer in July 2023 after Marumo Gallants, his previous club, suffered relegation. Ironically, despite the relegation, Makudubela played a key role in Gallants’ impressive run to the CAF Confederation Cup semifinals, where they were eliminated by… Yanga.

With his contract at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium expiring at the end of June, Makudubela’s future is up in the air. His comments hinting at a desire for a CAF Champions League medal fueled speculation of a move to either Rwandan champions APR FC or Yanga’s domestic rivals Azam FC.

Speaking to Newsroom Afrika, the 34-year-old attacker revealed his ambition for the upcoming season: “The first target would be to add a CAF Champions League medal. I’m hoping for a great season that’s coming ahead, whether here in South Africa or Tanzania.”

Back in South Africa for the offseason, Makudubela also shed light on his historic move to Yanga, becoming the first South African footballer in the Tanzanian league.

“It happened very quickly,” he explained. “I was about to sign with another South African team when Yanga’s president, Mr. Engineer Hersi Said, called me. We played against them in the Confederation Cup, and I think that’s where they spotted me. They’d been following me, but our games gave them a closer look.”

The call from Yanga’s president surprised Makudubela, but he emphasizes he earned the opportunity: “It’s a big thing for my career to go abroad and play for such an institution, it’s a big club in Tanzania. “Honestly, it came as a surprise in the first place, but I looked at my qualities, the efforts I’ve been putting in, and everything I’ve served South Africa with, so I think I deserved the opportunity.”  

Article by Trevor Magoro