Africa-Press – Tanzania. CONIFA Africa football tournament that was initially planned to be held next month in Zanzibar has been postponed to August, it was said here yesterday.
ZANZIBAR has been honoured to host CONIFA Africa Championship, the tournament special for countries which are not members of the continental and global football bodies.
Confederation of Independent Football Associations (CONIFA) is a football body for countries which are neither members of CAF nor the world football governing body, FIFA.
Ali Saleh ‘Alberto’ who is the chairman of the tournament’s organising committee told The ‘Daily News’ here in Zanzibar that the reason behind the postponement was to wait for the end of all Premier leagues in both Mainland and Zanzibar for football lovers to enjoy the tournament.
“We don’t want an interference with other domestic leagues,” Since it’s the first tournament, we want football lovers to have an ample time for it to participate,” he said.
He said that they have also considered other football fixture for the Confederation of East and Central African Football Associations (Cecafa) to avoid the interference.
According to the organisers, African countries which are not members of CAF are eligible to participate in the event. He said through the tournament Africa will be able to find its envoys in the CONIFA World Cup to be staged in 2022.
He said there are ten countries coming to Zanzibar for the event.
The countries are Zanzibar, Barotseland (Zambia), Matebeleland (Zimbabwe), Western Sahara, Kabyle (Algeria), Yoruba land(Nigeria), Biafra(Nigeria), Barawa (Somalia), Somali land, Chagos Island (Mauritius) and Lesotho.
Adding, he said while in Zanzibar the teams’ players and officials will be invited to visit various tourist attractions in the Isles.
Zanzibar took part in the CONIFA Championship in the finals staged in Kurdistan, Iraq in 2012.
He said the tournament organizing committee will be inaugurated recently to assume their responsibilities, among others to make sure that there is a smooth participation of all teams.
