Author: YASINTA AMOS
AfricaPress-Tanzania: PREPARATIONS for the highly anticipated Charity Shield match between Simba and the Namungo of Ruangwa, Lindi in Arusha are in final stages.
But the delegation from Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) officials now camped in Arusha to inspect the arena, have found the dressing rooms at the Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium leaving a lot to be desired.
“We want to start sending national and International teams to Arusha for the football matches, but the changing rooms at the arena are in bad shape, therefore the management should ensure that the facilities are improved,” stated the President of Tanzania Football Federation (TFF), Wallace Karia.
The TFF President said while on the other hand, the preparations for the match that also serves as a curtain-raiser for the new Premier League season are in place and urged firms and companies in Arusha to start finding means to benefit from the epic match.
“The Simba versus Namungo match is targeting to stimulate football and clubs in Arusha so that the region should learn that, in order for sports to flourish, conflicts and controversies among clubs must be stopped,” said Karia.
Speaking to soccer and sports stakeholders in Arusha, among them team and club leaders, the TFF president appealed to them to ensure they run their association as per fixed regulations ensuring peace and tranquility.
“Arusha is a tourism region and it is high time that sports and tourism sectors start operating symbiotically, we are hoping that tour companies, hotels and travel firms here will start promoting their products and services through sports,” added Karia.
Speaking of the controversy surrounding the Arusha Regional Football Association (ARFA) General elections, Karia said the process will go on and that all the valid ARFA documents are in place.
He, however, admitted that there has been some misunderstanding in the issue that has already been ironed out.
The Arusha city’s Sports Officer Benson Maneno blessed the ARFA elections saying all problems have been solved adding that there were some people who live by creating controversies but now with the TFF interventions things will change.
