TFF strikes Morrison off Yanga registration list

A combo photo showing three foreign players. From left are: Tonombe Mukoko and Tuisila Kisinda of Yanga, and Simba’s Bernard Morrison. The clubs have paid Sh4 million for each of the players’ licences. photo | file

What you need to know:

  • Four women’s soccer clubs have recruited 14 foreign players to feature in the league. The teams are Sisters FC, Yanga Princess, Simba Queens and TSC Queens

Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) has excluded Bernard Morrison’s name from the Young Africans’ (Yanga) list, putting the name on Simba Sports Club’s list despite Yanga’s pending appeal filed with the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

TFF Information Officer Clifford Ndimbo said TFF’s stand is based on the decision reached by its Legal, Ethics and Players’ Status Committee on the Morrison/Yanga registration tussle.

Ndimbo said that, although there is information that Yanga have filed case with Cas, TFF is sticking to its guns on the matter.

“According to the Legal, Ethics and Players’ Status Committee’s ruling, Morrison was “a free agent” not contracted to any team at the time, and could be recruited by Simba... This is our stand on the matter,” Ndimbo stressed.

Young Africans’s Information Officer Hassan Bumbuli said they were astonished by the TFF decision, and are awaiting Cas’ ruling.

“We cannot ask TFF why they have done so. Our stand is to wait for the Cas decision,” said Bumbuli.

Meanwhile, TFF has garnered a total of Sh280 million from the clubs which recruited foreign players for the Vodacom Premier League, First Division and the Women’s Premier leagues.

According to the list of players who have been recruited for the new season, 17 clubs have foreign players on their list for the next soccer season. Clubs are required to pay Sh4 million for each foreign player they recruit for the new season.

In the list are four women’s clubs, namely: Simba Queens, Yanga Princess, Sisters SC and TSC Queens. These have recruited 14 players in all. Sisters FC have recruited six players; Yanga Princess: four; TSC Queens: two. Defending Champions Simba Queens have recruited two players for the new season.

This is history in the making for women football in Tanzania, recruiting so many foreign players.

The list shows that defending champions Simba and Azam FC have each recruited ten foreign players - and paid Sh80 million in total to TFF. Yanga have paid Sh32 million for its eight foreign players. Namungo FC and Biashara Mara United have each recruited seven foreign players at a cost of Sh28 million each, payable to TFF.

Clubs which recruited one foreign player each - and paid Sh4 million apiece - are Dodoma FC, Gwambina FC, Mbeya City FC, and Mtibwa Sugar FC. Kagera Sugar recruited two players and paid Sh8 million for them, while KMC registered three players at a total cost of Sh12 million.

First Division Club Singida United recruited five foreign players, paying Sh20 million for them, while Kitayose recruited one foreign player, at Sh4 million. Ndimbo said the payment enables the clubs to be licensed for the foreign players to legally feature in the league. The TFF permit is granted only after the players have fully complied with immigration requirements, including securing working and resident permits.