Dar es Salaam. Football fans hoping to enjoy the traditional end-of-year thrill of the Kariakoo Derby between Simba and Yanga will have to wait a little longer.
What was expected to be one of December’s biggest showpieces has now been pushed into the New Year after the Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB) implemented extensive adjustments to the Mainland Premier League schedule.
The initial schedule had indicated that the first meeting between the fierce rivals this season would be played on December 13, with the return leg set for April 4, 2026.
However, according to the updated fixture list released on Monday, the two sides will now face off on March 1, and meet again on May 3 2026.
This adjustment means Simba and Yanga will play their two Premier League derbies within just 63 days, compressing one of the league’s biggest attractions into a short window.
The two giants have already met this season during the 2025/26 Community Shield on 16 September, where Yanga suffered a 1–0 defeat courtesy of Pacome Zouzoua’s decisive strike.
That loss came months after Yanga were beaten 2–0 by Simba on 25 June, a league match that confirmed the champions.
According to the League Board, the principal reason for the reshuffle is the scheduling of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which will run from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026 in Morocco.
Tanzania is among the 24 finalists and has been drawn in the same group with Nigeria, Uganda, and Tunisia.
As a result, the national team, Taifa Stars, will require sufficient preparation time – prompting the board to adjust the league calendar.
Initially, the 2025/26 Premier League season was set to conclude on May 23, 2026, but the new timetable extends it by one week, with the final matches now scheduled for May 29, 2026.
Several other fixtures involving different clubs have also been affected.
The postponed match between TRA United and Simba, originally slated for October 30 at the Ali Hassan Mwinyi Stadium in Tabora, will now be played on December 3, 2025, on the same date that Azam FC vs Singida Black Stars initially set for Azam Complex will take place.
Another fixture, Tanzania Prisons vs Yanga, earlier arranged for 1 November, has been reassigned to December 2, at the Jamhuri Stadium in Dodoma.
Similarly, Singida Black Stars vs TRA United, which was to be played on 3 November at the Liti Stadium, will now be staged on December 6, 2025.
On the same day, the highly anticipated Mzizima Derby between Simba and Azam, postponed from November 2, will kick off at 12:30pm at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.
The final match before the league breaks for AFCON preparations will feature Coastal Union (‘Wagosi wa Kaya’) hosting Yanga on December 7, 2025 at the Mkwakwani Stadium in Tanga. After that encounter, the league will officially pause.
