Zanzibar. Recurring incidents of violence at football grounds in Zanzibar, including pitch invasions, attacks on referees, fights between players and abandoned matches, are raising concerns about safety in the sport.
A Mwananchi investigation conducted in June 2026 found that Mao A and Mao B grounds in Unguja have been the scene of several such incidents over the past year, some of which resulted in disciplinary action.
Infrastructure challenges
The incidents have raised questions about the conditions at grounds used for football competitions.
According to the investigation, some grounds used for the Zanzibar Premier League, FA Cup, First Division League and other competitions organised by the Zanzibar Football Association (ZFF) and Zanzibar League Board (ZBL) have infrastructure challenges that can contribute to disorder.
Mao Zedong Stadium, comprising Mao A and Mao B, is among them.
ZBL Chief Executive Officer Issa Kassim Ali acknowledged the challenges.
“It is true that incidents of fans entering the pitch have occurred. The main challenge is at some grounds, particularly Mao, where fans sometimes struggle to control their emotions. However, we appreciate that many of them have tried to restrain themselves, although incidents that tarnish the sport still occur,” he said.
He said one of the main challenges was the absence of a fence separating spectators from the playing area, giving angry fans access to players and referees.
He added that the number of security personnel at Mao was also low, with about 15 guards serving crowds of hundreds.
Mr Ali said plans were under way to increase the number.
“Besides improving our regulations, we also want to strengthen security at our matches. We are currently considering increasing the number of guards from about 15 to 50, in cooperation with other security agencies,” he said.
Cost keeps teams at Mao
Despite the challenges, many teams continue to use Mao because it is cheaper.
New Amaan Complex, which meets the requirements of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), is not used for Zanzibar Premier League matches because of its high charges.
Mr Ali said clubs considered costs when selecting grounds.
“The cost of using New Amaan Complex is not comparable with Mao. Clubs look for the cheaper option,” he said.
He said Mao charges Sh200,000 for a night match and Sh150,000 during the day, compared with Sh6 million at Amaan at night and Sh5 million during the day.
Series of violent incidents
On April 18, 2026, after a Zanzibar Premier League match between Mlandege and Muembe Makumbi at Mao A, Muembe Makumbi striker Abdallah Iddi Mtumwa, popularly known as Pina, was seen fighting Mlandege fan Fahad Mohammed, popularly known as Mbaba, near the pitch. Mlandege won 2-1.
The ZBL League Operations and Management Committee suspended Pina for three consecutive matches, while Mbaba was banned from attending matches organised by the ZFF for one year.
Speaking to Mwananchi during the investigation, Mbaba said he accepted the punishment despite believing he did not deserve it.
“I learnt three important things from the punishment: accepting, forgiving and letting the past remain in the past. I believe that if a person learns these things, they can succeed in life,” he said.
He said he respected the decision despite believing that the player had followed him out of the pitch and confronted him.
Pina said he still respected Mbaba. “I cannot speak badly about Mbaba because, to me, he is like a father. What happened was unfortunate. I believe he was wrong in his own way, but I still respect him,” he said.
Referees under attack
Referee Ali Mbwana, popularly known as Kihonda, said the safety of match officials had also become a concern, with some stakeholders and fans seeking to influence results rather than follow the rules.
He recalled an incident in which he was attacked by fans during a match between New King of Kinyasini and Bweleo at Mchangani Stadium. “My fellow referees ran away, but I was caught. I was beaten badly. Eventually, I managed to escape and entered a house, where a woman hid me under her bed,” he said. He attributed some of the problems to differences in understanding between referees and fans over the laws of the game.
On April 15, 2026, another incident occurred during stoppage time in the FA Cup round-of-16 match between Muembe Makumbi and JKU at Mao A. The match was abandoned and the referees were escorted from the pitch under heavy security.
The incident followed an altercation involving Muembe Makumbi players and assistant referee Abdallah Kombo after he raised his flag to indicate that a goal scored by the team had been offside. JKU were leading 2-1 at the time.
The incidents followed others at the same ground.
On December 1, 2025, violence broke out after a First Division League match between Kundemba and Black Sailors at Mao A. Black Sailors were fined, while some fans were also punished.
On November 14, 2025, a Zanzibar Premier League match between Muembe Makumbi and KVZ at Mao was abandoned after violence involving Muembe Makumbi fans. The club was fined Sh5 million and ordered to meet the cost of repairing damaged stadium infrastructure following an assessment.
On May 12, 2025, Mao B hosted a Zanzibar Premier League promotion play-off between Polisi and Kundemba. Polisi won 3-1 and secured promotion, but disturbances broke out outside the stadium afterwards, forcing the referee to leave under heavy security.
On June 11, 2025, Mao A was again the scene of violence during the FA Cup semi-final between Uhamiaji FC and KVZ FC, which KVZ won 2-1.
A special security unit from Valantia Zanzibar was alleged to have entered the pitch and triggered the disturbances.
ZFF Security Officer Ramadhan Abdalla Bakari said the incident violated CAF Regulation 38, adding that no club had notified the authorities that it was responsible for security at the match.
Pemba takes a different approach
While Unguja continues to face these challenges, Gombani Stadium in Pemba has undergone major renovations aimed at improving safety and infrastructure.
Under a contract with Turkish contractor Reform Sports, the Government carried out renovations that included construction of a fence around the entire stadium.
The ground has also been fitted with artificial turf, an electronic scoreboard and modern changing rooms for players and referees. It also has VVIP and press stands, while a roof has been installed over the spectators' area.
The stadium has continued to host matches in the Zanzibar Premier League, Zanzibar FA Cup, Mapinduzi Cup, Union Cup and Tanzania Mainland FA Cup.
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