VPL clubs ask TFF to suspend current season completely

A number of Vodacom Premier League (VPL) clubs have asked the Tanzanian Football Federation (TFF) to suspend the current season completely.

The TFF had to stop the proceedings of the 2019/20 season due to the ongoing concern of the coronavirus pandemic and a number of clubs have come out to state their stance on whether the league should resume or not.

Yanga SC assistant chairman Frederick Mwakalebela has urged the federation to settle on the winner based on the 2018/19 season.

“I would prefer TFF to use the standings of last season to decide on who is the winner for this season. Where we are now, I think the league should be suspended completely and wait to start again in the next season,” Mwakalebela told Mwanaspoti.

“We would have overcome the coronavirus then and teams would have had time to plan better.”

Benedict Kihwelu, who is Lipuli FC's chairman, supported Mwakalebela's sentiments on VPL suspension, adding players are not in the right frame of mind to participate anymore.

“TFF should be wise enough and suspend the current campaign completely. Even if it will resume, the players are completely demoralised as there is still a lot of tension about the pandemic,” Kihwelu told the same publication.

“And we do not know by the time we resume the league, as per TFF projections, how we would have dealt with Covid-19.

“Where we are now, it is my opinion, we decide on who the champion is considering the current standings of the VPL table. In deciding the champion, we also have to consider the close rivals whether they stand any chance of lifting the title.

“On the relegation issue, it can be decided on the points difference between the teams sitting at the bottom.”

Secretary-General of Mbeya City, Emmanuel Kimbe, also emphasised on the need to use the previous season's table standings in deciding who the next champion will be.

“The table standings of last season should be considered as results of the current campaign too but TFF will need consent from all the participating clubs,” Kimbe told Mwanaspoti.

If the 2018/19 table will be used to settle the VPL winner debate, current leaders Simba SC will retain the title.