Israel Saria
The Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) elections committee is expected today to set out the roadmap ahead of the TFF general elections scheduled for February 24.
TFF media officer Boniface Wambura said yesterday that the committee ended a meeting late in the day, issuing a statement on the election which comes every four years.
Wambura said the committee was set to discuss TFF associate members’ elections. As for now only one member association, the Tanzania Women Football Association (TWFA) has held its election.
He added that the committee will discuss associations that had failed to conduct their elections in time, as this is required in order that the TFF general election takes place as planned.
Associate members yet to conduct elections are Tanzania Football Coaches Association (TAFCA), Soccer Players Union of Tanzania (SPUTANZA), Football Referees Association of Tanzania (FRAT) and the Tanzania Sports Medical Association (TASMA).
He noted that all regional associations are done with their election except for Katavi and Rukwa, still rearranging themselves following the creation of Katavi region last year
“Election for the Rukwa Regional Football Association (RUREFA) is scheduled for January 10 whereas Katavi Regional Football Association (KAREFA) will proceed after the Rukwa election,” Wambura explained.
He said the committee meeting was also set to assess preparations for elections of the Tanzania Professional League (TPL). According to plans the TPL board is supposed to be in place before kickoff of the second round of the league slated for January 26.
The TFF general election which was supposed to be conducted last December, was pushed to February so as to give room for amendments in the body’s statutes to conform with directives from the world football governing body, FIFA.
In the meantime TFF has sent its technical director, Sunday Kayuni to Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for talks with the country’s club TP Mazembe on release of players for national team assignments.
Information Officer Wambura said yesterday Kayuni’s mission will be discussing with TP Mazembe top officials on future smooth release of players following earlier hitches experienced by the national soccer body.
Taifa Stars dependable strikers Mbwana Samatta and Thomas Ulimwengu play for the Congolese giants who have won top African club championship on four occasions.
Wambura underlined that it is important for players to be released regularly without argument, so as to avoid marring their playing atmosphere for the club and for the national team.
“Kayuni will clear the situation between TFF and the club so that whenever they need players to join the national team, they are released in accordance with international regulations,” he said.
Recently Samatta and Ulimwengu were selected to play for Kilimanjaro Stars at the Cecafa championships in Kampala but TP Mazembe failed to release the players, dismaying most football fans.
However the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup is not on FIFA’s international match calendar and the world’s soccer body categorises the tourney as friendlies.
Clubs are not obliged to release players for matches not listed on the international match calendar though FIFA provides room for agreement between clubs and national associations for such releases, he added.
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