Sports

TFF firm over league jersey logo

THE Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) has reiterated its plan to safeguard the terms of the Mainland Premier League sponsorship agreed by the league committee and official sponsors, mobile phone service providing firm, Vodacom.

The federation's move comes in wake of the recent misunderstanding between the body's officials and the leadership of the Mainland Premier League side, African Lyon, after the latter had struck a partnership with another mobile phone service providing company, Zantel.

TFF Secretary General, Angetile Osiah, told the ‘Daily News’ that the federation will see to it that all the terms in the sponsorship are adhered to and none of the concerned parties go against the terms."The Mainland Premier League Committee, which represents all participating clubs, reached a consensus with Vodacom on the latter's sponsorship in the league and TFF is simply acting on the agreement", said Osiah.

"One of the terms in the sponsorship demands that clubs are not allowed to secure sponsorship with Vodacom competitors and the term should be adhered to as agreed", he added.He insisted that TFF will always see to it that both Vodacom and the league committee act in line with the sponsorship terms and, should the league committee wish to terminate the contract, the body will be responsible for the eventuality.

Mainland Premier League teams were allowed to seek their respective sponsors, whose logos will appear alongside that of Vodacom in the teams' jerseys and, according to the terms, the clubs were not allowed to secure sponsorship from Vodacom competitors.

The decision by African Lyon to enter partnership with Zantel, in this case, has been regarded as a violation of the sponsorship terms that the league committee entered with Vodacom.Osiah also strongly denied claims that African Lyon were allowed by TFF to use jerseys bearing Zantel logo in league matches, saying the club was openly acting against the Vodacom sponsorship terms.

"They (African Lyon) were not allowed to use the jerseys (bearing Zantel logo). Lyon went to the pre-match meeting with blue jerseys bearing Vodacom logo but they said the jerseys were not complete, thus, what they did later was insincerity", he said.

Lyon found itself in collision course with TFF shortly before the team's Mainland Premier League's opening match against defending champions, Simba, at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Saturday, in which Lyon attempted to use jerseys with Zantel logo but they were barred from doing so by TFF.

Lyon's Manager, Rahim Kangezi, then said after the match that his club had previously been allowed to use the Zantel-sponsored jerseys during the Premier League Committee's meeting with TFF president, Leodegar Tenga.According to Kangezi, apart from backing Lyon's participation in the premier league, Zantel was also expected to finance the club's junior development programme aiming at supporting both academic and soccer careers of youngsters attending the programme.