Simba in trouble over Leopards friendly

The decision by Simba SC to play AFC Leopards in an international friendly match has been met with fury by the Tanzania Football Federation which says the former flouted its rules.

According to TFF’s Technical Director, Salum Madadi, Simba violated TFF and Fifa rules by engaging in an international friendly without giving notice to the federation.

Being an international week, and with no domestic league back at home, the Ingwe hierarchy chose to travel to the Tanzanian capital in a move aimed at bench-marking the team’s progress against a solid opposition but TFF has read the riot act, with the latter putting the rest of the Tanzanian league clubs on notice should they violate the federation’s rules.

“We have written a letter to our provincial football branches, premier league, first division clubs and second division clubs to ensure due procedure is adhered to before a foreign club lands in Tanzania.

“No club(s) is allowed to enter Tanzania for a friendly or any tournament without a release letter from the rival federation respecting both FIFA and Tanzanian football body regulations,”Madadi said.

“We have been forced to remind our clubs after AFC Leopards of Kenya was invited to come for a friendly with Simba SC without following the regulations required,” he added.

In a rejoinder, Football Kenya Federation vice-president Doris Petra shared similar sentiments noting that there is need to adhere to the rules.

“It’s is a requirement for any club that wants to honour a friendly match or any tournament outside Kenya to inform the federation,”she said.

“For a friendly match or any tournament organized here with clubs outside we have to have a release letter from their federation to show that they are aware there clubs are legally here,”Petra added.

Kenya and Tanzania have enjoyed cordial relationship in matters sports.

Recently, four clubs from Tanzania – Simba SC, Yanga SC, Singida United FC and Jeshi la Kujenga Uchumi– were invited to feature in the Super Cup tournament held at the Afraha Stadium in Nakuru.

Yanga SC has also visited Kenya early this year for a number of warm-up matches playing Leopards, Gor, Sofapaka and Tusker FC in their preparations for a Caf Confederation tournament where they were bundled out at the group stages.

 

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AFC Leopards Friendly Simba Tanzanian Football Federation TFF

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