Minister to Meet TFF, Yanga, Simba Over Postponed Match

Government Summons TFF, TPLB, Yanga, Simba for Emergency Derby Talks
Tuesday, March 25, 2025

DAR ES SALAAM – The Tanzanian government has called an emergency meeting with key football stakeholders in an effort to resolve the ongoing dispute surrounding the rescheduling of the highly anticipated Mainland Premier League derby between arch-rivals Yanga SC and Simba SC.

According to an official statement released on Monday, March 24, 2025, the meeting is scheduled to take place in Dar es Salaam this Thursday. It will be chaired by the Minister for Information, Culture, Arts, and Sports, Professor Palamagamba Kabudi, and will involve senior representatives from the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF), the Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB), and both clubs.

“We have indeed received a formal invitation to meet with Minister Kabudi regarding several matters, including the postponement of our league match against Simba,” a Yanga official confirmed, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We have acknowledged the invitation and will be in attendance.”

A representative from the Premier League Board also confirmed the meeting and emphasized that the primary agenda is the controversy surrounding the rescheduling of the derby clash.

“We’ve been informed about the meeting and we’ll participate. The main agenda item remains the ongoing debate over the postponement of the Yanga vs Simba fixture,” the official stated.

Gerson Msigwa, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts, and Sports, reaffirmed that the session will take place in the capital and will be led by Minister Kabudi. He also confirmed that Simba officials will take part in the discussions.

Yanga SC has already escalated the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), seeking intervention after expressing dissatisfaction with how the situation has been handled.

The derby, originally scheduled for March 8 at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, was postponed following complaints by Simba SC. The club alleged that Yanga officials denied them access to the stadium for their pre-match training session, a move they claim violated league protocols.

Simba subsequently notified both the TPLB and TFF that they would not participate in the match, citing a breach of their right to a pre-game training session as stipulated in league regulations.

On the other hand, Yanga maintained that the match should proceed as planned, aligning with the rules governing league fixtures.

In response, the Premier League Board later issued a formal statement acknowledging Simba’s concerns and cited Clause 34.1 (1.3) of the league regulations, which permits the postponement of matches under exceptional circumstances.