TZW
The Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB) yesterday announced changes made to the league fixture. Yanga dispatched off St Louis of Seychelles 2-1 on aggregate in the preliminary round of CAF Champions League to book a ticket into the first round, where they will face Botswana’s Township Rollers.
The Botswana side saw off after winning the tie 4-2 on aggregate. The first leg will be played at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, while the return leg encounter will take place in Gaborone, Botswana a week later.
In CAF Confederation Cup, Simba recorded a resounding 5-0 aggregate win over Gendarmarie of Djibouti to sail though into the first round and will meet Al Masry of Egypt. The Egyptians bundled out Zambia’s Green Buffalos despite losing 2-1 at the Nokoloma Stadium in Lusaka in the return leg encounter.
The Egyptians progress into the next round on 5-2 aggregate. With the tough fixtures ahead, the TPLB Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Boniface Wambura, said it was important to provide ample time for the country’s envoys to prepare for their respective matches
. Wambura said while addressing members of media at the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) headquarters in Dar es Salaam that the giants will be given at least five days to prepare. “We received pleas from the two clubs (Yanga and Simba) to consider about their CAF schedules, hence saw it necessary to redraft it,” he said.
“Yanga will play against Ndanda tomorrow (today) in the league fixture slated at Nangwanda Sijaona Stadium in Mtwara, while Simba’s match against Stand United which was previously scheduled to be played on Sunday has been shifted to Friday with the venue either Uhuru or National Stadium yet to be confirmed,” Wambura said.
Adding, Wambura said the other Mainland Premier League encounter which has been affected by the upcoming CAF ties is the match between Mtibwa Sugar and Yanga, which was slated to be played on Saturday, which has been postponed until further notice
. He further narrated that TPLB will be forced to make further adjustments to the league fixtures if the country’s envoys will manage to cruise into the group stages of the continental football showpiece. “CAF are mainly concerned with their own calendar, that is why all the member states of the federation are entitled to follow and adhere to their fixed timetables,” Wambura said.
In another development, CAF has announced that Burundian referees will be in charge of the first leg match between Yanga and Township Rollers. TFF Media and Communication Officer, Clifford Ndimbo, named the officials as Pacifique Ndabiha, who will be the central referee and will be assisted by Willy Habimana and Pascal Ndimunzigo. Match commissioner will be Mangaluso Jabulani Langwenya from Swaziland.
In the return leg match to be played in Gaborone on Mach 17th, 2018 will be officiated by Morocco referees. The central referee will be Redouane Jiyed and will be assisted by Youssef Mabrouk and Hicham Ait Abou, while Samir Guezzaz will be fourth official.
The match commissioner will be Gay Makoena from South Africa. Ndimbo said South African referees will be in charge of Simba versus Al Masry encounter at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday.
They are Thando Helpus Ndzandzeka who will be a central referee and he will be assisted by Zakhele Thusi Siwena and Athenkosi Ndongeni. Christopher Harrison will be fourth official, while match commissioner will be Tuccu Guish Chrbremedhin from Eritrea. The return leg clash to be played at Port Said on March 17, this year, will be officiated by referees from Eritrea.