TFF yet to decide on Congo saga

Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) is yet to decide whether or not to appeal to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) against the Serengeti Boys’ nemesis, the Congo Brazzaville, who reportedly used overaged players in the Under-17 continental tournament.

According to information obtained by The Citizen, the TFF has reason to believe that Congo Brazzaville featured six overage players who helped shatter the Serengeti Boys’s dream of cruising to the CAF African Youth Championship finals in Madagascar next year.

The Citizen has gathered that the players at the centre of this storm include Langa Lesse Bercy, who is said to have been born on April 24, 2000. He plays for the Congo Brazzaville’s premier league side, Etoile de Talas, and has featured in many top flight matches.

Langa wore jersey number 10 in his team’s match against Namibia, but changed the jersey in the match against Tanzania and wore jersey number five (5).

TFF maintains that the decision to change the jersey was motivated by the team’s bid to divert attention away from the controversial player. Namibia also lodged a complaint against this player, prompting the team’s managers to make cosmetic changes that were aimed at blindfolding the Tanzanian side. That didn’t work. TFF warned before the match that it would seek CAF intervention after the match.

Another alleged ‘player-of-shame’ is the Congo Brazzaville’s Under-17 camp is one Rejelvi Beaugorel Massatou, who is said to be a defender born on March 4, 2002. Like Langa, Massatou plays for a premier league side -- Racing Club. He wore jersey number five (5) in the return match against Serengeti Boys in Congo Brazzaville.

Also in the list of shame is Rodriques Kiba Konde, born on March 9, 2002, and plays for AS Panthere. He was wearing jersey number nine (9) when his side played Tanzania. There is also Ben Makouana, who has born on September 28, 2002. He plays for a premier side known as Ajax de Ouenze.

Other players are Patchely Rael Mbemba, born November 2, 2002, and plays for Ajax de Ouenze), Exau Ngumbi, born October 02, and plays for Racing Club) and Juste Aldo Mantouari, who has born on January 19, 2002 and plays for Cara Espoir.

TFF is said to be looking into the steps taken by CAF which allowed one of the players (Langa) to continue playing for Congo Brazzaville after Namibia’s decision to take back its appeal.

“I think Namibia decided to pull out of the case to avoid the costs. TFF is yet to decide on the matter, we will let the football stakeholders know very soon, but currently we are yet to have a final position,” said the impeccable source.

TFF secretary general Mwesigwa Selestine also confirmed that they were yet to decide on the matter. “We are yet to decide,” Mwesigwa told The Citizen.