Dar es Salaam – The Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB) has postponed the highly anticipated NBC Premier League match between Young Africans SC and Simba SC following a complaint from Simba regarding their denial of access to Benjamin Mkapa Stadium for a crucial training session.
The match was scheduled for today, March 8, 2025, at 7:15 PM EAT at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.
However, in light of the complaint, the league’s Management and Administration Committee convened to review the matter on the same day.
Simba SC argued that the denial disrupted their preparations and violated competition rules, specifically citing Article 17 (45) of the Premier League Regulations, which guarantees the visiting team the right to train at the match venue at least once before the game.
Upon receiving Simba’s complaint, TPLB instructed the stadium management to clarify the incident, according to a press release availed to the media this afternoon.
The board demanded that all teams be granted fair access to training facilities as per league regulations.
Initial findings suggest that some stadium security personnel, identifiable as Young Africans SC supporters, played a role in preventing Simba SC from accessing the field, constituting a direct violation of league regulations.
The board emphasized that club-affiliated individuals should not interfere with official stadium operations, as such actions undermine the integrity of the league and compromise sportsmanship.
The TPLB also received a report from the match security officer detailing other incidents linked to Simba SC’s denied training session, which require further scrutiny before any disciplinary measures can be imposed.
Due to these developments, the matter has been referred to the Management and Administration Committee for a formal inquiry to determine if any rules were breached.
TPLB underscored that fair play is a core principle of the league and reiterated that attempts to disrupt match preparations will not be tolerated.
The board is committed to enforcing league regulations impartially.
As part of the investigation, the committee will review stadium footage and consult key stakeholders, including representatives from both Simba SC and Young Africans SC.
Statements from stadium officials will also be considered.
TPLB assured that any individuals found guilty of unfairly influencing stadium access would face disciplinary action, which could include fines, suspensions, or further sanctions.
To prevent similar incidents in the future, the board plans to introduce stricter measures, reinforcing guidelines for stadium security and ensuring neutrality among staff during match day operations.
Given these ongoing concerns, TPLB has decided to delay the announcement of the new date for the rescheduled fixture, aiming to resolve the dispute and confirm a fair playing environment before finalizing the match schedule.
The league management has encouraged clubs to respect regulations and avoid actions that could jeopardize the integrity of the competition, warning that severe consequences will follow any future violations of match preparation protocols.
With investigations ongoing, Simba SC awaits the board’s final ruling, remaining hopeful that justice will prevail and that such disruptions will be prevented in upcoming fixtures.
The TPLB will provide updates once the inquiry is completed and will announce the new match date as soon as possible.
