Yanga SC list Morrison as their player despite Simba SC move

Young Africans (Yanga SC) have left many in shock after they named Bernard Morrison in their squad for the new season.

The Ghanaian midfielder moved from Yanga to rivals Simba SC in a controversial transfer that left his former club lodging a complaint with the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF), who later cleared him to play for Simba.

However, unsatisfied Yanga vowed to move to the Court of Arbitration of Sports (CAS) in Zurich to protest the decision by the TFF.

On Sunday during Yanga’s Mwananchi Week celebration at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, the club, through the MC of the day Maulid Kitenge, announced Morrison was still a Yanga player.

“The player listed in number 28 is Bernard [Morrison], who is still our player as we have a case in CAS, so Morrison is still our player,” Kitenge announced to the applause of Yanga fans, who turned up for the celebrations.

While Yanga are claiming to own the player, Morrison was in action for Simba SC as they beat Namungo FC 2-0 to lift the Community Shield Cup at the Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium in Arusha on Sunday.

The FA Cup winners won a penalty after Morrison was brought down when he was tripped by Steven Duah, and their captain John Bocco rose for the occasion to plant the ball into the bottom-right corner after decisively beating Namungo’s goalkeeper Nurdini Balola.

Simba got the second goal on the hour mark when Morrison managed to drive the ball into the top corner after receiving a neat pass from Clatous Chama. It was the second goal for the former Orlando Pirates and Yanga man after scoring against visiting side Vital’O of Burundi seven days ago.

On signing for Simba, Morrison urged Yanga to accept and move by stating it was part of football.

“It is part of the game, and I don’t take any personal offense about whatever that has been happening for a while now,” Morrison told Goal.

“Yanga is a big team and Simba is also a big club and moving from Yanga to Simba it is not really a big deal, though the [Yanga] supporters are disappointed and the management are disappointed, it is part of football.

“It happens so I don’t think they have to see me as a bad person, in moving from Yanga to Simba because it is part of football and they have to accept it and move on and welcome me to Tanzanian football.”

Simba will now open their title defence against promoted side Ihefu FC while Yanga will tackle Tanzania Prisons on Saturday.