TFF releases premiership fixture

The Mainland premier soccer league fixture was officially released by the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

All the 14 teams will be in action on the weekend starting August 20 with five games to be played on the kick off day.

The first half of the league winds up on November 5 when all the teams would be through with 13 matches.

Holders Young Africans and their closest rivals Simba will not be in action on the opening day and instead will hold their nerve until the next evening.

The opening day would see five matches to be hosted in as many stadiums scattered throughout the country.

Newly re-promoted side Coastal Union kicks off the league at their home turf of Mkwakwani Stadium against visiting Mtibwa Sugar from Manungu in Morogoro.

At home to visiting Ruvu Shooting are Kagera Sugar at their traditional venue of Kaitaba on the western shores of Lake Victoria in Bukoba.

Another re-promoted side Villa Squad have to travel all the way to meet hosts Toto Africa at the CCM Kirumba Stadium on the breezy southern rock shores of Lake Victoria.

African Lyon, now in their third premiership season, will be at Jamhuri Stadium in Dodoma to face hosts Police FC.

Moro United, who bounced back into the premiership berth meet, Azam FC at the newly opened Chamazi Stadium in southern Dar es Salaam.

Last season’s league runners-up Simba will be away to premiership new arrivals Oljoro JKT at the Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium in Arusha as both teams would claim a share of host status.

Holders Yanga will be tested to the limits of their prowess as they face JKT Ruvu at the National Stadium on Sunday evening, what a game to be for the old foes!

The fixtures look highly tight and congested at least in the first two weeks as teams would be shuffling between stadiums in the busy football schedule.

The league schedule has been accepted and approved by all the 14 teams competing.

The top flight league would be preceded by a Community Shield match between archrivals Simba and Young Africans at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on August 17.

This will be the second meeting of the teams since the Community Shield was established two seasons ago.

The Community Shield clash will also draw the teams for the fourth time in the year after previous meeting in the Mapinduzi, return leg of the previous premiership season and Kagame Cup final.

The teams are expected to meet for the fifth time in the first leg of the new season on October 29 in the penultimate round at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

Yanga will be the hosts on that day.

Mobile telephone service providers Vodacom are still maintaining their sponsorship for the fifth season in a row.