Doumbia was roped in during the mini-transfer period shortly after playing for Mali in the 2022 African Nations Championship (CHAN) finals that took place in Algeria from January 13-February 4 2023.
Much as making a much-publicized arrival at the Jangwani Street club, Doumbia has yet to make his debut for his new club in either the 2022/23 NBC Premier League or the 2022/23 CAF Confederation Cup Group Stage.
The footballer has only played for Yanga when the club came up against a Championship League outfit, Tabora's Rhino Rangers, in this season's Azam Sports Federation Cup (ASFC) Round of 32's tie played at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on January 29.
The duel, which had Doumbia being introduced in place of Ibrahim Abdallah in the second half, ended with Yanga garnering a comprehensive 7-0 win over Rhino Rangers to sail through to the showdown's last 16's round.
The allegations reveal that the 28-year-old defender, former Stade Malien footballer, is not happy with the lack of opportunity to play since he arrived during the NBC Premier League mini-transfer window.
I know that all players in the world want to be on the pitch and are not happy when they are left on the bench.
From Real Madrid's midfielder Eden Hazard to Tanzania's Simba SC defender Erasto Nyoni, no player enjoys being out of the pitch for any reason.
There is, as a result, nothing new for Doumbia to be hurt by not having game time at Yanga.
Doumbia may be either fighting for the chance to play in the club or the squad's head coach does not want to change the defensive partnership of his club.
It is possible that the Malian central defender is not happy with staying on the bench at Yanga but I hardly think he has reached the stage of seeking his way out of the club.
First, how long has Doumbia been with Yanga since he made his way into the country?
He has not completed two months, and how many matches has Yanga played since he arrived? They are almost 10 clashes.
In a foreign team, a foreign league, and a foreign country with a foreign language, a footballer needs time to get used to the environment.
I am sure Doumbia is aware of this and even before he landed in the country the experience must have been in his thoughts.
A person cannot count on experiencing an easy environment away from home, for that matter, asking to leave after just two months is a move that can hardly be contemplated by him.
Doumbia will moreover be aware that it is not easy for a footballer to directly make it into the first team of an outfit he has joined in the middle of the season, particularly at a time such an outfit is doing well.
It should be remembered that the center-half arrived at Yanga which is leading the rest of the pack in this season's NBC Premier League and the 2022/23 CAF Confederation Cup Group D.
It would have been easy for Yanga's head coach to think about including Doumbia in his team soon if the Jangwani Street club either had defensive problems or poor results.
Unfortunately, the center-back found that Yanga has two strong central defenders who start and two others who sit on the bench.
Of course, Doumbia will be watching all this and understand why he hardly has a place in Yanga's first team. For now, all he needs to do is behave professionally and keep on having a positive outlook.
Most West African countries have brave people who dare to earn their living smartly.
That is why when they are lucky enough to play football, they work hard so they can earn enough money and then return home to change their lives.
They hardly embrace flamboyance, as is the case for some of their counterparts in Tanzania.
It is not surprising to see many of the region's players move out of their respective countries to look for greener pastures elsewhere.
They are not hurt a lot by the environment they find themselves in because they are fighters.
A person should ask himself/herself how Nigerian defensive midfielder Victor Akpan, who joined Simba SC at the end of last year and was later roped in by Ihefu SC in the mini-transfer period, traveled from Nigeria to first play in the Zanzibar Premier League.
How many local players who missed a place in Mainland Tanzania teams could have the audacity to play in Zanzibar but are not in the Isles yet?
I hardly know Doumbia in person but his history tells me he once left Mali to play in the lower leagues in Morocco as a youth footballer.
It is this kind of courage that he needs in Yanga to fight for a chance to put himself in an environment that will ensure the footballer rakes in more cash.
I am sure that at Yanga he earns double the money he used to receive in his home country and that is why he agreed to come to Tanzania.
He needed to move on to earn the money for the next six or seven years when he turns 34 years old.
The beauty of Tanzania is that soccer players who have done well in the past do not miss a club to play for unless they decide to opt out of the sport.
For Doumbia to achieve success, the center-half should be on the pitch right now and do well for Yanga.
I am not worried about his competence considering I watched him prove his worth for Mali in the 2022 CHAN finals.
He is a solid defender that Yanga needs, for that matter, the footballer needs to mature and adapt to the environment soon.
Doumbia ought to ensure he either gets a nod ahead of Congolese defender/midfielder, Yannick Bangala, or Dickson Job in Yanga's backline or make the head coach settle for rotation.
It is not an extremely easy task but it is possible. Do any local football fanatics remember when Congolese fullback, Joyce Lomalisa, arrived at Yanga?
_0.jpg?itok=QU87XW8D){kind=tracking}
.jpeg?itok=vCj6bCRe)
