The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
Majuto Omary
30 September 2008
Mtibwa Sugar's Zubweri Katwila vies for possession with Simba SC's Juma Jabu during their Vodacom Premier League match at Dar es Salaam's National Stadium on Sunday. Simba won 1-0.
Tanzania Mainland champions, Young Africans, will now compete in the Africa Champions League following a decision by the executive committee of the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) during a two-day meeting in Dar es Salaam.
TFF executive committee suspended Young Africans for two years for boycotting a third play off match against Simba Sports Club during the East and Central Africa Club championship.
Young Africans claimed that the environment surrounding the match was not for the team's good performance following last minute decision by their rivals, Simba SC, to play the match contrary to their prior agreement.
The teams are reported to have agreed that to play the third play, TFF and CECAFA must pay them Sh50 million as match fee, a decision that was disputed by the two soccer bodies.
Apart from that, TFF executive committee also resolved not to take disciplinary action against two Young Africans leaders, its chairman Iman Omari Madega and publicity secretary Francis Lucas for their excuse presented to the meeting.
TFF secretary general Fredrick Mwakalebela said the decision to lift the ban on Young Africans is to honor a resolution by the disciplinary committee chaired by Saidi El Maamry.
Mwakalebela said the executive committee honors the standing committee's decision as there is no clause in the constitution that bars the committee from discussing the appeal.
He said TFF constitution is silence on the matter and that they plan to rectify the anomaly because the executive committee is supposed to be superior to disciplinary committee as per rules and regulations governing the soccer body.
According to Mwakalebela, only a general meeting can discuss and decide a judgment made by the executive committee and not any other body formed under the same constitution.
He said apart from allowing Young Africans to compete in international tournaments including international friendlies, the executive committee has ordered the club to pay $35,000 fine as per decision of the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA).
Mwakalebela said the team is required to pay the fine before December 31 or risk stern punishment.
TFF also cleared Madega and Lucas after they presented an excuse following their statement in different media outlets on why they did not play the match against Simba SC due to violation of the payment agreement.
"Madega and Lucas had issued the excuse in a statement to us which we regarded as faulty at first and we warned them," he said.
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