Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB) is scheduled to meet with Young Africans (Yanga) executive committee members tomorrow, June 9, 2025 to discuss the fate of the highly anticipated derby against Simba, slated for June 15 at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.
The meeting is set to begin at 9pm at the TPLB offices in Ilala, Dar es Salaam, according to a Yanga executive committee member.
The main agenda will focus on the postponed fixture, which was initially set for March 8 but failed to take place due to a dispute between the two clubs.
However, Yanga officials have maintained their firm stance that they will not play the rescheduled match.
Their argument centers on what they claim was a violation of league rules and regulations during the buildup to the original March 8 clash.
The situation escalated when Simba announced they would not take part in the match, alleging that Yanga’s security guards had blocked them from holding a training session at the stadium a day before the fixture.
Following the announcement, TPLB and the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) jointly decided to postpone the match, citing concerns over potential breaches of peace, alleged corruption, and other issues that required further investigation.
On March 9, Yanga’s executive committee held an emergency meeting and resolved not to participate in any rescheduled fixture related to match number 184—regardless of the date.
The club further declared its loss of confidence in the current Premier League Committee, led by Chairman Steven Mguto and Secretary Almas Kasongo, calling on TFF to dissolve the committee.
Yanga cited repeated violations of league regulations and a lack of accountability from the governing bodies as justification for their decision.
According to Yanga, they fulfilled all match preparations, including attending the official Match Coordination Meeting (MCM) on March 7, at 8pm at Spice Hotel in Dar es Salaam.
Speaking to this reporter, one executive member confirmed they had received an invitation to attend the TPLB meeting. However, not all committee members would be present. “Our president, Hersi Said, is currently in the United States, and other members are out of Dar es Salaam.
This means we cannot fully represent the executive committee or make binding decisions,” the source stated.
He added that those present in Dar es Salaam would attend the meeting to hear what TPLB has to say but reiterated that the club’s position remains unchanged they will not play the match.
