The Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) Disciplinary Committee lifted the two-year ban on Yanga yesterday

The Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) Disciplinary Committee lifted the two-year ban on Yanga yesterday.

The soccer body has instead fined the Mainland champions 20,000 US dollars (above 20m/-). The team will be required to pay the fine before competing in the African Champions League.

TFF Executive Committee last month banned Yanga from competing in the international matches after boycotting Kagame Cup third playoff against their traditional rivals Simba on July 27.

Yanga wanted TFF and Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (Cecafa) to pay them 50m/-before the match.

TFF ban came hardly a day after Cecafa had suspended them for three years from its club tournament. The regional soccer body also fined Yanga $35,000 (above 35m/-).

TFF Disciplinary Committee Chairman Said El Maamry stated yesterday that the committee which met last Sunday to discuss an appeal lodged by Yanga become satisfied with the team`s defence which said that the penalty given to them did not exist anywhere in the TFF constitution and was excessive.

“We looked at TFF Constitution and found that there was no such kind of punishment in it. The punishment was not even available in Fifa’s Constitution,“ he said.

El-Maamry, however, said that the disciplinary committee was saddened by the bad conduct of Yanga leaders.

“We have given them a strong warning and we have ordered them to apologise to the public as soon as possible,“ El Maamry insisted.

• SOURCE: Guardian