The Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB) Communications Officer, Karim Boimanda, has said that preparations for the Premier League match number 184 between Yanga and Simba, scheduled to be played on June 15 at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, are progressing well.
Boimanda stated that all stakeholders involved in the match are continuing with preparations, while the Board is ensuring that all essential procedures to facilitate the match are completed.
Despite statements from Yanga’s side suggesting they will not play the match, Boimanda emphasized that as the host, Yanga has its responsibilities, but the Board will also fulfill its duties when the time comes.
Regarding the gate fees for the match, which have not yet been officially announced, Boimanda explained that the ticketing procedure remains the same: the tickets that were meant for the previously scheduled match on March 8 will still be valid. Those who bought tickets back then will use them for this upcoming game.
"Preparations for big matches like this go through various stages. For now, we haven't reached the stage where we require a report from the host team, who bears the major responsibility for preparations, including ticketing matters," Boimanda said.
"What stakeholders need to remember is that this match had already been discussed in terms of ticketing, and tickets had begun to be sold. As of now, some tickets were purchased and still exist with our previous fans who bought them. We’ve stated multiple times that those tickets remain valid and will be used for this match."
"There is no major debate regarding the tickets at the moment; we are just waiting for the right time to resume selling the remaining tickets, which had been suspended after the earlier postponement of the match."
"We believe the host team is continuing with its preparations since we haven’t yet reached the point where we need to know how far they’ve gone. When the time comes, we’ll hold meetings to exchange information regarding all preparations," said Boimanda.
While the preparations for the match continue, Yanga officials have persisted in declaring that they will not field a team on June 15.
Simba’s squad has entered camp today to begin special preparations for the match, as the team—nicknamed Mnyama (The Beast)—needs a win to climb higher in the league standings and potentially ignite their title hopes.
If Yanga fails to show up on June 15, the regulations are clear: Simba will be awarded a 3-0 walkover victory and three points, while Yanga will be deducted 15 points.
