TPLB chief executive officer Silas Mwakibinga speaks at a past event. As the league is set to kick off on September 20, the Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB) has involved the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) in supervising Vodacom Premier League matches (VPL) in order to fight against corruption.PHOTO | FILE
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But According to Mwakibinga, now the anti-corruption agency will have full access to various records of players, referees, coaches as well as team managers and club leaders involved in the premier league.
Dar es Salaam. Corrupt football leaders, players and officials in the country have to watch out as the anti-graft agency has now entered fully in football arena to scrutinize all Tanzania Premier League stakeholders.
As the league is set to kick off on September 20, the Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB) has involved the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) in supervising Vodacom Premier League matches (VPL) in order to fight against corruption.
The TPLB chief executive officer Silas Mwakibinga confided to The Citizen that the move will assist them to arrest corrupt football leaders, players and officials, who have been tainting the good image of Tanzania football.
Although there are few reported incidents which were hard to prove, match fixing in football in Tanzania has been blamed mostly on corruption, involving either players, team officials or referees.
But According to Mwakibinga, now the anti-corruption agency will have full access to various records of players, referees, coaches as well as team managers and club leaders involved in the premier league.
“PCCB will use the means at its disposal to check telephone communications as well as accounts records of players, referees, coaches, team managers and club leaders who would be implicated in any corrupt acts,” he said, warning corrupt football officials and players of stern measures if they would be found guilty.
“Football stakeholders would like to see teams lose or win their matches fairly without favours,” he said. “We have been receiving complaints from team officials and other stakeholders over poor refereeing during premier league matches. We have now decided to take action,” he added. “We have conducted a seminar for referees and other match officials over corruption. TPLB and PCCB would like to see Vodacom Premier League matches played fairly and not otherwise. We believe there are people who use the league to benefit themselves through corrupt means. Bribery has no place in Tanzania football anymore,” said Mwakibinga.
He expressed hopes that the seminars on the ‘laws of the game’, will reach all referees and clubs before the start of the league.
According to Mwakibinga, TPLB strives to have the best and competitive national league in a bid to raise the football standards in the country. “Our target is to have the best Tanzania representatives in all international soccer assignments,” he insisted.
