Tenga invites challenge in TFF polls

The Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) incumbent president, Leodegar Tenga, has said that he is ready to be challenged for the top post during body`s general election set for December 14 in Dar es Salaam.

Addressing journalists yesterday in Dar es Salaam, the TFF boss said that having multiple aspirants not only forms the basis of healthy democracy, but also gives credence to an elective process as well as according the ultimate winner a legitimate mandate.

“It gives voters an opportunity to choose people in whom they can vest their confidence and trust to handle matters on their behalf,“ he said.

Himself seeking a second term, Tenga is the sole candidate in the presidential seat, while that of the first vice and second vice president posts have attracted more than one contestant each.

Jamal Malinzi who had sought to unseat Tenga had his name cancelled by a vetting committee on the grounds that he did not have adequate qualifications.

Tenga, who is a former national soccer team player, said that he was seeking a fresh mandate at the helm of the organisation in order to finish some of the programmes he initiated.

“There`s a lot of unfinished business there, and I’d like to see them to their end,“ he said.

He said that during his tenure, he had worked collaboratively with the rest of his team to secure a sustainable and stronger relationship between his organisation, government, corporate and football stakeholders with a view to improve the standards of the game in the country.

Among his notable achievements he highlighted include the establishment of TFF`s constitution, which provides a framework for the governance of football and other matters pertaining to sports management.

Once the constitution was adopted, Tenga pointed out, there have been infrequent wrangles within the organisation and almost none-existence court cases, or fewer if any, which were rife before he assumed leadership in 2005.

He, however, said that there is need to put in place some regulation codes, which would go a long way to streamline the running process of the national football body as well as the national team, Taifa Stars.

“Establishing financial discipline, for example, calls for strict measures that will seal all loop holes for any impropriety to take place at the organization,“ he noted.

According to him, Tanzania has invested more money in the team as well as premier league clubs in the hope of improving soccer in the country, hence the need for an accountable and responsible leadership that follows laid down rules.

This, among other duties, make up the core of his future responsibilities upon assuming leadership of the institution after securing a win in the coming election, he said.

• SOURCE: Guardian