Renowned Ghanaian women’s football coach, Yusif Basigi has signed a one-year deal with Tanzanian side Simba Queens, ending his long-standing association with Hasaacas Ladies.
Basigi arrived in Dar es Salaam over the weekend to take up the role after receiving support from Hasaacas Ladies’ management.
The Tanzanian club had been interested in him for the past two years, but he had turned them down, choosing instead to help Hasaacas Ladies regain the Women’s Premier League title they had lost to Ampem Darkoa.
In an interview with Graphic Sports, Coach Yusif Basigi confirmed that Simba Queens had persistently pursued him, and he felt the time had come to embrace a fresh 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 said.
He added that following his return from Colombia, where Ghana’s Under-20 side, the Black Princesses, were eliminated in the group stage, Simba Queens renewed their efforts, leading him to finally accept their 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.
Basigi takes over the task of building a competitive team at Simba Queens, aiming for success both domestically and internationally.
He had been with Hasaacas Ladies since its formation in 2003, guiding the team to five Premier League titles, as well as FA Cup and First Lady’s Cup triumphs. He also led them to the 2021 Caf Women’s Champions League final, where they finished as runners-up to Mamelodi Sundowns.
On the national level, Basigi has also had a successful run, having coached both the Black Queens and Black Princesses. His achievements include winning gold with the Black Queens at the 2005 African Games and repeating the feat with the Princesses at the Accra 2023 African Games. He also led the Princesses to gold at the inaugural Wafu Zone B U-20 tournament in 2023.
Simba Queens, affiliated with Simba S.C., compete in Tanzania’s Women’s Premier League. They have participated in the Cecafa Women’s Champions League since 2021 and reached the semi-finals of the Caf Women’s Champions League in 2022 after winning the Cecafa title.
