The runners-up will also see a substantial increase, taking home Sh100 million compared to Sh30 million previously
Dar es Salaam. The Union League has received a major financial boost, with organisers tripling the prize money to raise the competition’s profile and intensity ahead of the new season.
Under the revised structure, the tournament winners will now pocket Sh150 million, a significant jump from the Sh50 million awarded last season. The runners-up will also see a substantial increase, taking home Sh100 million compared to Sh30 million previously.
The enhanced rewards are part of a broader effort to make the competition more competitive and commercially attractive. Historically, the tournament has served as a pathway to continental football, with the champions earning the right to represent the country in the CAF Champions League, while the runners-up qualified for the CAF Confederation Cup.
Zanzibar Football Federation (ZFF) Secretary General, Ahmada Hussein Vuai, confirmed that all preparations for the tournament have been completed, setting the stage for an exciting kickoff.
According to the official fixture, defending champions Young Africans (Yanga) will open their title defense against Mwembe Makumbi in the tournament’s curtain-raiser scheduled for tomorrow. The match will kick off at 7pm at the New Amaan Complex.
Action continues the following day at the same venue, with KVZ set to face Azam FC under the floodlights.
The competition gathers further momentum on April 23, when Zanzibar champions Mlandege will take on Singida Black Stars at 4pm. Later that evening, at 8.15pm, Simba SC will square off against Mafunzo, with both matches also slated or the New Amaan Complex. The tournament follows a knockout format, with the winners of the opening four matches advancing to the semifinals after a one-day rest period. On April 25, the winner between Young Africans and Mwembe Makumbi will face the victor of the KVZ versus Azam FC clash. The second semifinal, scheduled for April 26, will pit the winner of Mlandege versus Singida Black Stars against the winner of the Simba versus Mafunzo encounter.
The stakes will be highest in the final, set for April 29 at 8.15pm at the New Amaan Complex, where the two remaining teams will battle for supremacy and the lucrative Sh150 million prize.
