Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB) has rescheduled the second-round match of the Premier League between Yanga and Simba, commonly known as the Kariakoo Derby, for Sunday, June 15, 2025.
The new fixture was released just hours after Yanga’s management reiterated their refusal to play the match, which was initially set for March 8 this year.
The TPLB postponed the March 8 clash following chaotic scenes at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium a day before the match.
Individuals identified as Yanga’s private security guards, known as “commandos,” allegedly blocked Simba from holding a training session at the venue.
According to the revised schedule issued by the TPLB, the derby will now kick off at 5:00 PM on June 15.
Additionally, the final round of matches in this season’s NBC Premier League will take place on Sunday, June 22, 2025.
One week later, the CRDB Federation Cup final is expected to be played on a date between June 26 and June 28.
The 2024/25 football season will conclude on July 7, 2025, with the second leg of a promotion/relegation playoff between a Premier League club and a Championship side.
However, on Monday, May 5, 2025, Yanga reiterated that it will not participate in the rescheduled derby, despite the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) having dismissed their case.
“Our position regarding Match No. 184 of this season’s Premier League remains unchanged. We will not participate in the match under any circumstances,” read part of Yanga’s official statement.
The club also urged its members and fans to be ready to fight “by all means” to ensure justice is served, condemning what it called “blatant injustice and serious breaches of regulations by football authorities.”
On May 1, CAS dismissed the case filed by Yanga concerning the postponed second-round Premier League match against Simba initially scheduled for March 8.
Yanga had requested that CAS ensure the rescheduled match is not played and that the club be awarded a walkover victory.
CAS, however, dismissed the case, citing Yanga’s failure to exhaust internal football dispute resolution mechanisms before filing the matter with the international court.
The court directed Yanga to first submit its complaints to local football bodies before escalating the matter to CAS.
