Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s football clubs are under growing scrutiny over compliance with regulations requiring them to provide health and accident insurance for players and technical bench officials.
According to The Citizen investigation has established that despite clear requirements under Tanzanian football regulations and national law, some clubs have failed to provide adequate insurance cover, leaving players exposed to potentially serious health and financial risks.
The issue is particularly significant in the Tanzania Mainland Premier League, where players face injuries and other health risks in the course of their professional careers.
According to the 2025 Tanzania Mainland Premier League Regulations issued by the Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB), Chapter VI, which covers medical services and insurance, requires every club to provide medical insurance and compensation for sports-related accidents to its players and technical bench officials.
Regulation 21 on insurance states that every club is responsible for providing such cover. The regulation further warns that a club that fails to comply could lose its eligibility to participate in the Premier League.
The registration of its players would also not be approved and the club would not be allowed to participate in the competition.
The requirement is also supported by the Universal Health Insurance Act, 2023. Section 5 provides for mandatory health insurance coverage, while employers are required to contribute towards health insurance schemes for their employees.
At the continental level, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) also requires clubs to protect their players. Under the Caf Club Licensing Regulations 2022, Article 28(3), clubs are required to ensure that players have access to comprehensive medical care, including health insurance.
The regulations further require clubs to provide annual medical examinations and comprehensive health insurance for all players under contract.
Fifa requirements
At international level, FIFA does not have a blanket regulation requiring every club worldwide to provide health insurance to players in every competitive situation. However, it has specific provisions concerning players released to national teams.
Under Fifa regulations, the club where a player is registered is responsible for ensuring that the player is protected by insurance against illness and accidents throughout the period he is released for national-team duty.
The cover should also extend to injuries suffered while the player is participating in international matches for which he has been called up.
FIFA also operates the FIFA Club Protection Programme, under which a club may receive compensation if a professional player suffers an accidental injury while on international duty and is temporarily unable to play.
The compensation, however, does not replace a club’s obligation to provide insurance. Instead, the programme is intended to protect clubs against financial losses arising from injuries sustained by players while representing their national teams.
TFF warning
The Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) acknowledges that some clubs have not fully complied with the insurance requirement. TFF President Wallace Karia says the regulations are clear and that clubs will be required to comply before the start of the 2026/27 season.
“There are clubs that do not comply with the requirement for health insurance, but next season no team will be allowed to participate without fulfilling that requirement,” Karia says.
TFF Director of Legal and Marketing Services Boniface Wambura says the federation has repeatedly reminded clubs of their obligations under various regulations, including those relating to health insurance.
However, he admits that some clubs have been slow to implement the requirement. Wambura also points to a lack of awareness among some players and their representatives, particularly when negotiating employment contracts.
“When players enter into contracts, they do not pay attention to ensuring that this issue is addressed. Some are completely unaware that their clubs are required to ensure this is implemented,” he says.
“When they encounter problems and come to us, that is when they realise that they have been denied some of their rights.”
‘Insurance is a basic right’
National Sports Council (BMT) Executive Secretary Neema Msitha says insurance should be regarded as a basic right for all professional athletes.
“All players, not only footballers, are required to have health insurance. It is important not only for them but also for their families,” she says.
Msitha says the government and relevant sports authorities must ensure that existing laws and regulations are enforced rather than allowing players to remain exposed to risks.
Meanwhile, Abeid Kasabalala, Assistant Secretary of the organisation responsible for protecting players’ rights, Spata, says the organisation has been pushing for regulations that safeguard players.
“The problem is that every club has its own financial capacity. There are clubs whose owners do not have enough income to fulfil this requirement, but as leaders, we have consistently raised our voices over the enforcement of the law,” he says. Kasabalala says players ultimately bear the greatest burden when clubs fail to provide insurance.
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