Dar Es Salaam — THE match between soccer giants Simba and Young Africans will elude Dar es Salaam soccer fans at least until next year,and the October 16, showdown now shifts to Mwanza's CCM Kirumba Stadium.

This follows Simba's decision to pick CCM Kirumba Stadium as their home ground, after the Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam was closed down and the government's reluctance to allow frequent use of the imposing National Stadium.

In the first round match Simba will be the hosts and the Msimbazi Street club leadership insisted yesterday that the eagerly awaited match will be played in Mwanza and not otherwise.

There have been behind the scenes efforts to ensure that the derby fixture, which normally attracts massive crowd and revenue, is played at the 60,000-seat National Stadium. The government closed down the Uhuru Stadium two week ago, to pave way for renovation that includes upgrading the spectators' stands.

The renovation will last for three months. And, until the Uhuru Stadium reopens sometimes in November, the mouthwatering league fixture will have already been played. This means that Simba and Yanga fans in Dar es Salaam will have to wait and see the fixture returns back into the city during the second round match of the league next year.

The Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) Acting General Secretary Sunday Kayuni confirmed yesterday that the giants will lock horns in Mwanza. Kayuni said that the government had allowed just five matches to be staged at the National Stadium, saying both Simba and Yanga who requested to use the facility were allocated with two matches each and one match between them would pit the two teams.

However, Kayuni said basing on the TFF regulations all teams will be required to use one venue as their home base, the fact that will make it difficult for Simba to relocate their match against Yanga to Dar es Salaam.

Until Friday Yanga leadership did not announce where they will relocate the team . But there have been speculations that they would either shift their base to Jamhuri Stadium in Morogoro or Sheik Amri Abeid Memorial Stadium in Arusha.