From FAT to Fit: How TFF remains the only winning team in Tanzania’s sports federation league

SIMBA and Yanga are at it AGAIN, making the rest of Africa wonder if Tanzanian teams have started eating lion meat for breakfast!

Last weekend, these two football giants not only entertained us with some intense goal-scoring but also sent a clear message to the rest of Africa: “Tanzania is here to stay and we’re not just here to make up the numbers!”

First up, let’s talk about Yanga, who decided to host a goal-scoring party at the New Amaan Complex Stadium in Zanzibar and guess who wasn’t invited? Ethiopia’s Commercial Bank of Ethiopia Sports Association (CBE SA).

Yanga gave them a 6-0 thumping that probably had the CBE players wondering if they accidentally showed up to a military drill it ‘Chuo cha Mafunzo’ instead of a football match.

The goals came from every corner of the Yanga squad, like a buffet where everyone gets a taste.

The Zambia rock Clatous Chota Chama ‘Triple C’ opened the scoring in the 35th minute because, well, someone had to start the feast.

Then Clement Mzize, who doesn’t believe in waiting, decided to score just after halftime, perhaps inspired by the dressing room oranges.

Not to be outdone, Burkinabe star Stephane Aziz Ki decided to score twice, because why score once when you can double the fun?

He netted in the 74th and added a cherry on top in the exciting 90+3 minute of play before Isles homeboy Mudathir Yahya jumped in on the action with an 88th-minute goal.

And to make sure Ethiopia remembers this day, Duke Abuya, the Kenyan forward, decided to seal the deal in the 90th minute.

I bet the Ethiopian keeper is still seeing the ball in his nightmares.

With this 6-0 demolition job, Yanga strutted into the group stage of the CAF Champions League like a peacock on a runway, with an aggregate score of 7-0.

They had already won the first leg 1-0 in Addis Ababa, thanks to Zimbabwean Prince Dube, who has a thing for dramatic last-minute goals.

Meanwhile, on the next day in Dar es Salaam at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, Simba SC decided to show everyone what a real comeback looks like.

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Facing Libya’s Al Ahli Tripoli, they did what any dignified football team would do after conceding an early goal – they got mad and then they got even.

After only 17 minutes, Angolan striker Paciencia Mabululu – whose name sounds like he should be a superhero – pounced on a back-pass and scored for Al Ahli Tripoli.

But Simba wasn’t having any of that nonsense. Kibu Dennis, “Kibu D” if you like and Leonel Ateba quickly turned the tables, giving Simba a 2-1 lead before halftime.

In the second half, Simba decided that two goals were good, but three would be great.

Enter Edwin Balua, who added the third goal and ensured that Simba qualified for the group stage with a 3-1 aggregate score.

At this point, the Libyan team probably felt like they were in a game of FIFA where the opponent is a pro gamer and you’re just mashing buttons.

Now, while we’re all busy celebrating Simba and Yanga’s victories and dreaming of continental glory, let’s take a step back and ask a rather uncomfortable question:

Where are the rest of the other sports disciplines?

It’s like we have two big lions roaming the sports savanna, but the rest of the animals are nowhere to be seen.

What’s going on?

I mean, sure, we’ve got some new faces at the helm – a fresh minister, a fresh deputy minister, a fresh permanent secretary and a fresh deputy permanent secretary.

They’re probably still figuring out where the bathrooms are in their new offices.

But what about the rest of the sports bosses? Isn’t it time to wake up and smell the freshly cut grass of our sports fields?

I mean, seriously, if our sports federations were a football match, we’d be stuck in extra time without a goal in sight!

Let’s shine a spotlight on the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF), which seems to be the only sports organisation in the country that’s actually doing its job.

And by “doing its job,” I mean scoring goals while the others are still trying to figure out which direction the field is facing.

The TFF, formerly known as the Football Association of Tanzania (FAT), has been around since 1930.

That’s almost as old as some of the dusty trophies hiding in our cabinets!

Over the years, they’ve gone through more name changes than a pop star trying to rebrand after a scandal, but they’ve kept their focus—like a player with a clear shot on goal—and it shows.

One of the biggest game-changers? They’ve finally realised that the government isn’t the enemy, but rather a teammate.

From the moment they stopped treating the government like an overzealous referee ready to pull out a red card at any moment, it’s been smooth sailing.

It’s like they found the right formation; now it’s all about teamwork and it’s working!

Even Mama is simply happy with them!

If it weren’t for the TFF’s efforts, her ‘Kikapu’ incentives might have been buried in the grass, long gone and forgotten.

But now? Mama is cheering from the sidelines, waving her flag high!

Under the leadership of Wallace Karia, who took over in 2017, the TFF has been on a roll—like a well-oiled football machine.

They’ve empowered the regions, boosted the premier league to be one of the top five in Africa and helped the Taifa Stars qualify for AFCON not once but twice!

If that isn’t the stuff of legend, I don’t know what is.

And let’s not forget Twiga Stars, our national women’s football team, who are also making waves on the continent.

Honestly, if the TFF were a football team, they’d be collecting trophies like a kid collecting stickers—one after another!

They’re the ones winning matches while other federations are still trying to figure out how to lace their boots.

I remember back in the FAT days when the soccer body was at loggerheads with the government.

Every time the government intervened, FIFA would swoop in like a referee with a red card, banning us faster than you can say “offside.”

But since the TFF decided to buddy up with the government (funny how FIFA doesn’t mind that buddying), Tanzania’s football world has turned into a land of milk and honey!

Or should I say, a pitch of goals and glory?

So, kudos to the TFF! May they continue to kick the ball forward while the rest of the sport’s bosses catch up.

But then we look at other sports and it’s like we’re watching a completely different movie.

Take Athletics Tanzania (AT), for example – sure, they’ve had some successes.

Our athletes have brought home a few medals and we’ve seen some great performances.

But where’s the magic? Where’s the teamwork?

While TFF has figured out how to get everyone on the same page, athletics is stuck in a rut, like a marathon runner who forgot to tie their shoelaces.

And don’t even get me started on how we performed at the Paris 2024 Olympics. It was like watching a slow-motion replay of a disaster.

Egos clashed, the Tanzania Olympic Committee (TOC) and AT couldn’t stop bickering and in the end, we walked away empty-handed.

If they had just focused on working together, instead of competing in their private drama, we might have brought home a couple of medals.

Instead, we got a lesson in how not to run a sports team.

So, here’s the deal: Simba and Yanga are doing their part, flying the Tanzanian flag high in continental football.

They’ve got the talent, the determination and the drive to make us all proud. But what about the rest of our sports?

It’s time for our sports bosses to step up, take a page out of the TFF’s playbook and start getting results.

As much as we love seeing our football teams succeed, we’d also love to see athletes from other disciplines standing tall on the world stage.

It’s time to get our sports house in order – because the roar of Simba and Yanga should be just the beginning of Tanzania’s sporting success, not the end.