Yanga president Engineer Hersi Said has said the late Francis Kifukwe was one of the people who greatly supported him during his leadership journey at the club, revealing that the former chairman guided him on many matters and played an important role in Yanga’s transformation process.
Hersi made the remarks today at the Karimjee Grounds in Dar es Salaam while delivering a condolence message on behalf of Yanga during the farewell ceremony for the club’s former chairman, Francis Kifukwe, who recently passed away in India while receiving medical treatment.
Hersi thanked God for enabling them to reach the day and expressed his gratitude to Kifukwe’s family for allowing Yanga to organise a special farewell ceremony for the former club leader.
“First and foremost, I thank Almighty God for allowing us to reach this day. I sincerely thank the family for allowing Yanga SC to organise a special farewell service for Mzee Kifukwe,” Hersi said.
He said the family had its own schedule and responsibilities but chose to give Yanga the opportunity to bid farewell to the former club leader.
“We understand that the family had its own schedule and various responsibilities, but they generously allowed us as Yanga SC to have the opportunity to bid farewell to our beloved Mzee. We are very grateful for this great honour,” he said.
Hersi Thanks Mangungu
In his tribute, Hersi also thanked various sports stakeholders who attended the ceremony, singling out Simba chairman Murtaza Mangungu for special appreciation.
Hersi said Mangungu’s presence, despite the rivalry between Yanga and Simba, was a sign of respect and solidarity within the football family.
“I would like to thank all the sports stakeholders who have joined us today. In particular, I sincerely thank our brother Murtaza Mangungu, the chairman of Simba. Despite his busy schedule, he agreed to join us on this important day as we bid farewell to Mzee Kifukwe,” Hersi said.
“I commend him for his sportsmanship and for showing that despite our sporting rivalry, we still respect and value one another as members of the football family.”
“Kifukwe Was an Engineer Like Me”
Hersi said one of the things that made him feel particularly close to Kifukwe was their shared profession as engineers, describing the late leader as a professional who made a significant contribution to player recruitment and team building.
“Kifukwe was an engineer like me. Mzee Kifukwe is widely remembered for his expertise in player recruitment. There are people who have compared me to Mzee Kifukwe.”
“Even Pascal Kabombe asks me, ‘What does engineering have to do with recruitment?’ But just as it was with him, we too have found ourselves responsible for recruiting players and building the team,” he said.
“He Guided Me on Many Matters in Leadership”
Hersi said he had a close relationship with Kifukwe and that the late leader supported him in various aspects of his leadership at Yanga.
“I was very close to Mzee Kifukwe. He guided me on many matters during my leadership and helped me greatly in the club’s transformation process,” he said.
He said Kifukwe also contributed to preserving and updating important records and documents that played a significant role in Yanga’s transformation journey.
“He helped me update some important records and documents that played a major role in this journey,” Hersi said.
Hersi revealed that Yanga previously had various factions, including Yanga Kampuni and Yanga Asili, which formed part of the historical structure of the club.
He explained that Kifukwe made an important contribution towards completing the club’s transformation process and connecting that history with Yanga’s current structure.
“Previously, there were several factions within Yanga, such as Yanga Kampuni and Yanga Asili. Mzee Kifukwe helped us complete the transformation process. His contribution to me and to Yanga SC was immense,” he said.
The Yanga president said Kifukwe’s death was not only a loss to his family but also a major loss to Yanga and Tanzanian football as a whole, given his contribution to leadership and the development of the sport.
