Timu ya Wananchi had held talks with the midfielder before the billionaire owner showed interest and made a huge offer
Yanga SC's dream of signing Mercey Ngimbi of Union Maniema did not materialise after TP Mazembe's president, Moise Katumbi, outbid them.
Yanga had already engaged Union Maniema over Ngimbi who was seen as a natural replacement for Haruna Niyonzima but Katumbi's bid threw a spanner into the works of the Jangwani giants.
They had made a $40,000 bid for the midfielder for a two-year contract, but TP Mazembe's bankroller is said to have made a bid that is more than double - around $100,000 - of what the Tanzanian giants had put on the table.