AfricaPress-Tanzania: have called upon the Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB), to come up with good measures to run the league other than keep on adjusting the number of competing teams.
From next season, the current number of 20 teams trading in the Mainland Premier League will be trimmed to 18, meaning that four teams will directly be relegated, while the fate of other two teams will be decided on playoffs.
In the same case, two top teams from the First Division League (FDL) will automatically be promoted to the top flight, while two others will be engaged in the playoff stage to determine their fate. “I think the most important thing here is for the TPLB to come up with appropriate measure to manage the league and less from that, they will keep on reducing or adding the teams plying in the top flight.
“Without proper measures, it means even if the league can have three competing teams, still, efficiency will not be seen due to lack of proper formula as such, from my opinion, I think TPLB should make long lasting measure to run the whole league properly,” said former Taifa Stars goalkeeper, Ivo Mapunda.
On the other hand, Mapunda urged teams trading in the top flight to start branding themselves well as one step forward to win sponsors. He said sponsors prefer to land on teams which have credible administration and good image.
On his part, a well-known sport analyst in the country Edo Kumwembe said according to the geographical nature of the country, it is better to reduce the number from 20 teams to 16 teams.
“If all the competing teams were financially stable to the extent of travelling by air, then nobody could have wanted to reduce the number of teams but our country is very big and most clubs use road transport from one place to another.
“Imagine, a team from Mtwara has played its league game on Saturday and on Tuesday, they have another game to be played in Mbeya or Kagera and the means of transport is the road, do you think players will arrive in Mbeya or Kagera fit and ready for the game?” he queried.
He went on: “Most teams in the league depend on gate collection; they do not have potential sponsors capable to invest more money on them. Financially such clubs do suffer a lot.”
In terms of coverage of the league, Kumwembe said media outlets do a recommendable job to update people on what is happening on the ground hence no sponsor can have doubt about league coverage.
The top flight league remains paused as one way to fight the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic which becomes high when many people have gathered together.
