Israel Saria
The Council of East and Central African Football Associations (Cecafa) has imposed a three-year ban on Yanga for boycotting Sunday`s Kagame Cup match.
Yanga boycotted the Kagame Cup third place play-off match against their archrivals Simba demanding to be paid 50m/- by Cecafa before the game was played.
The regional soccer body has also fined the mainland soccer champions 35,000 dollars (above 35m/-) for a no-show appearance in the match which was supposed to be played at the Main National Stadium.
Cecafa Secretary-General Nicholas Musonye said yesterday that Yanga would be required to pay the sum within the shortest possible period.
“We are asking Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) our affiliate to use all possible means to recover this money for us.
Should the three year ban lapse and Yanga has not paid the fine, they will not be allowed to participate in our competitions,“ Musonye said, adding that there would be no appeal against both the ban and fine.
Musonye said they would take the matter to CAF for further sanctions. “We are also requesting TFF to take another disciplinary action against Yanga for failing to represent them in the classification match and plunging the game of football and the image of TFF and Cecafa into disrepute,“ he added.
“As we are all aware, the importance of these regional tournaments is to create harmony, unity and close relationship among member countries.
“Tanzania has been the most consistent member of Cecafa in terms of hosting and competing in our tournaments,“ Musonye said.
He said for unexplained reasons, Yanga boycotted the classification match and had gone ahead to spread falsehood and damaging allegations, touching on the integrity of the TFF and Cecafa.
“Cecafa would like to category deny having any agreement with TFF, Simba or Yanga regarding to any financial obligations.
They have made a very serious offence and this is the first time in the history of Cecafa for such an incident to occur“ he added.
Musonye went on by advising TFF to take serious disciplinary actions over the club`s officials for the negative altitudes which made them incur untold damages.
On his side, TFF Vice president Crescentius Magori said Yanga as the Mainland Champions had totally distorted the image of Tanzania.
“Our aim was to see that our teams compete effectively and that was why we gave Simba, Miembeni and Yanga 8m/- each to enable them to prepare well,“ Magori said.
- SOURCE: Guardian
Dear Sir,
I have been following that story on TBC Radio and feel that CECAFA Secretary-General acted out of anger and was one-sided since both teams had agreed to boycott the match then Simba betrayed Yanga by taking to the field so as to get the 10,OOO US Dollars.It is the same case of Jesus and Judas!Its money issue and nothing else.So,Musonye as an Administrator shud not use anger as a tool.
Yours Faithfully,
It was a very sad day in the history of football in the region,” general secretary of Cecafa Nicholas Musonye told me in Dar