Last season, he was key in Young Africans’ venture into the quarter-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League, but Yanga talisman, Stephane Aziz Ki is looking to better that result in this campaign.
The Burkinabe international was one of the standout players for the Tanzanian giants and garnered widespread interest from across the continent.
However, the 28-year-old has pledged his full commitment to Wananchi, as he looks to lead the club to continental success.
Ki provides insights into the club’s ambitions, Miguel Gamondi’s impact and the secret behind Yanga’s success.
Q: There were expectations for Yanga to do well in this season’s TotalEnergies CAF Champions League. The team started off really positively.
A: It will always be like that because Yanga have to show that we want to be at the top. We have to take every game like a final. It was the first CAF game for the season and the message is clear; we want to play at a high level from the first minute to the last. I’m happy about the first game and I’m very proud of the team but it’s not finished.
A: Honestly, the goal is to be better than the day before. The team wants to do better than the last game, we want to prove ourselves because the coach has done his best to prepare us in the training sessions. It’s always important to have the support of your fans and the team have to play well all the time to make them happy in return.
A: I have to be an example and help everyone because I always say that football is about 11 vs 11 on the pitch. There’s nobody who is better than the other. You are only better when you have your teammates around you. You have guys who help you score or the goalkeeper who prevents goals from going in. For me it’s always important to give this kind of confidence to everyone, even the players who aren’t part of the team at times – everyone is important for me. That’s why I always have to be committed on the pitch.
A: Honestly, Gamondi changed everything in the team, especially the mentality of the players because you can see that the team wants to score more goals in every game. Sometimes you can get complacent when you are winning but he pushes us because he wants us to be better and to take every game seriously, which is a good mentality to have as players. We have to be grateful to him because he helped me as an individual and the team as a whole to be better every day.
A: The objective for the season is clear; to go far. By that I mean minimum semi-final. That is what everyone is working towards. We have to be ready to play every game like a final if we want to be regarded as the best in Africa.
A: I’d say the friendship in the group. Because everyone is like family. You can see from the management, and it filters down to us as players. Everyone is together, which is very important for the team. Last season the team did well because everyone worked towards the same objective. That was the key.
A: I played at this level last season because of the help of the team. They gave me everything I needed, that is why I don’t think about myself – I always think about the team. Because I can’t win alone. I won’t say that I’m the best, the team is the best. I just want to be as good as they are.
