Premiership season kicks off in August

Tanzania Football Federation

Mainland premiership soccer season kicks off on August 20 according to the calendar of events from the Tanzania Football Federation released in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

The season kick off would be preceded by a Community Shield match between winners and runners up of the previous season that ended on April 10.

Holders Young Africans will battle it out with arc-rivals Simba on August 13 to open the curtain for the season.

The fixture of the league is expected to be released by the TFF on July 20, exactly one month ahead of the kick off.

A total of 14 teams are lined up for the new premiership season, an increase of two more teams from the number of teams in the previous season.

TFF has set up 50-day preliminary transfer window for players of the top flight clubs effective June 1.

Teams have been ordered to announce their drop-off players through contractual revocation for 21 days effective yesterday.

Ten days are allocated for contractual review and lodging of petitions effective July 21.

The mini transfer window of players starts on November 1 up to 20 as the mid season transfer window is open for the entire November.

Mobile telephone services providers Vodacom Tanzania Ltd are the main sponsors of the premiership season having sealed off the deal four seasons ago.

The 14 teams expected to feature in the league besides Yanga and Simba are Azam, Mtibwa Sugar, Kagera Sugar, Police Dodoma, African Lyon, Ruvu JKT, Ruvu Shooting Stars and Toto Africa.

Four other teams which won promotions into the top flight berth are Coastal Union, JKT Oljoro, Moro United and Villa Squad to conclude the line-up.

Meanwhile, most of the Dar es Salaam based teams with the exception of Azam FC will need to shift their bases upcountry as the Uhuru Stadium is undergoing refurbishment in preparations to mark the 50-years independence anniversary.

It’s the same episode that hit the teams during the first half of the previous seasons as teams opted to play matches outside Dar es Salaam.

Azam FC is expected to use their newly constructed Chamazi Stadium on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam as their home venue.