Yusif Basigi joins Tanzania’s Simba Queens on a one-year deal
Celebrated Ghanaian women’s football coach Yusif Basigi has signed a one-year deal with Tanzanian side, Simba Queens.
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Basigi arrived in Dar es Salaam over the weekend to begin his new adventure, having received blessings from the management of Hasaacas Ladies.
The Tanzanian club initially expressed interest in Basigi two years ago, but he declined, committed to helping Hasaacas Ladies reclaim the Malta Guinness Women’s Premier League title they lost to Ampem Darkoa two seasons ago.
Confirming his departure to Graphic Sports, Coach Basigi said the pressure from the Tanzanian side was intense, and he felt it was the right time to seek a new challenge in women’s football.
“It is not often that you get clubs trying to sign coaches from outside their home country. For two years, they have been knocking hard on my door, and each time I declined because of my commitment to club and country,” Basigi stated.
He explained that shortly after returning from Colombia, where Ghana’s Under-20 side, the Princesses, failed to advance from the group stage, officials from Simba Queens renewed their interest, prompting him to accept the offer.
“After careful consideration and weighing the options, I have decided to give it a try. I have now arrived in Dar es Salaam to begin this new phase of my coaching career,” he confirmed in an interview.
Task Ahead
Basigi’s immediate task will be to build a strong team from the current Simba Queens players, guiding them to domestic and international success.
Basigi has been with Hasaacas Ladies since the club’s formation in 2003, leading them to become one of Ghana's dominant sides in women’s football. Under his guidance, the team won five Women's Premier League titles, an FA Cup, and the First Lady’s Cup.
Internationally, Basigi led Hasaacas Ladies to the first CAF Women’s Champions League in 2021, where they won the WAFU Zone B tournament and claimed silver in the main competition, losing to Mamelodi Sundowns in the final.
Despite his efforts, Hasaacas Ladies failed to qualify for a second Champions League appearance, falling short in the WAFU competition.
### National Team Contributions
An educationist by profession, Basigi has also had a distinguished career with Ghana’s national teams, coaching both the Black Queens and Black Princesses at various times.
He made history by leading two different teams to African Games success: the Black Queens in 2005 in Brazzaville and the Black Princesses, who won gold at the 2023 Games held in Ghana. Basigi also guided the Queens to a bronze medal at the 2006 Women’s African Cup of Nations and led the Princesses to gold at the inaugural WAFU Zone B U-20 tournament in 2023.
Simba Queens
Simba Queens Soccer Club is a professional women’s football team affiliated with Simba S.C. and based in Kariakoo, Dar es Salaam. They compete in Tanzania’s top-flight Women's Premier League and, as league champions, have participated in every edition of the CECAFA Women's Champions League since its inception in 2021.
In 2022, Simba Queens won the CECAFA competition and qualified for that year’s CAF Women's Champions League in Morocco. Although they reached the semi-finals, they were eliminated by AS FAR.