Yanga to request TFF to drop their players from Taifa Stars

Dar es Salaam. The Mainland Tanzania Premier League champions, Young Africans (Yanga), are planning to request the football federations of Tanzania and Zambia to allow their players not to participate in national teams in order to enable them to focus on intensive training ahead of the CAF Champions League quarter-finals.

So far, a total of five Yanga players have been named to join the national football team (Taifa Stars) and another  has been picked to join Zambia’s national team, Chipolopolo.

The national teams will feature in the world football governing body (Fifa)‘s Series with Taifa Stars facing Bulgaria on March 22 and Mongolia on March 25 in Azerbaijan.

So far Yanga’s players namely Aboutwalib Mshery, Bakari Mwamnyeto, Ibrahim “Baca” Hamad, Mudathir Yahya and Clement Mzize are part of the Taifa Stars squad that will travel to Azerbaijan. The team’s another player, Kennedy Musonda, has been picked  to feature for Chipolopolo ahead of the FIFA international friendlies.

Soon after CAF unveiled Yanga’s opponents, the team’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Andre Ntine, said they would need to prepare well for the Mamelodi Sundown match, despite some their players joining the national team ahead of the FIFA break.

One of Yanga’s executive committee officials told The Citizen that the players will need to undergo intensive training ahead of the first leg of the Caf Champions League quarters against Mamelodi Sundowns on March 29 at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam. He said they know the importance of the national team’s international friendly match, but added that they are facing the huge task of qualifying for the CAF Champions League semifinals.

Taifa Stars players are expected to set up camp on March 17 and travel to Azerbaijan the following day.

“Our players have just been recalled to join Taifa Stars and as per the schedule, they are supposed to travel to Azerbaijan and return on March 27, one day before the match,” he said.

TFF information officer Clifford Ndimbo said they are yet to receive any request from Yanga despite the fact that Fifa Series programme dates were known few months ago.

“There are procedures to follow, basically, FIFA Series matches’ dates were known before the Caf Champions League quarterfinal draw and all preparations were made before and under FIFA, let’s wait and see,” said Ndimbo.

However, the issue seems to be difficult because TFF may not omit the names after completing travel procedures including tickets, visas and other requirements.