Tanzania government has warned Young Africans (Yanga SC) and Simba SC fans they will be prosecuted if found guilty of causing violence during Mainland Premier League matches.
Reacting to recent violence which involved Yanga fans, who attacked their counterparts from Simba during a league match against Mtibwa Sugar in Morogoro, the government through Director of Sports Yusuph Singo has stated such incidents should never be entertained in sports and those who will be caught will be brought to justice.
“We know that the concerned clubs have also warned their supporters plus apologising publicly. Even the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) and the National Sports Council (NSC) have condemned the attacks,” Singo said as quoted by Daily News.
“As the government, we have also seen it important to highly blame such incidents and warn all those who are involved to stop at once. We do not want such inhumane actions to continue happening in the country.
“Those who will be arrested will face the law and strict punishment will be imposed on them as a lesson to others who were planning to do the same in the future. We need to completely damage this unacceptable culture which wants to be developed.”
Singo continued: “There was never an incident reported of fans fighting one another or tearing apart one's jersey like the way it is happening now.
“I believe that after this announcement, we will not hear any violent incidents done by supporters in the country. Let us peacefully continue to support our teams while remembering that sport is a game of entertainment and unity.”
The incident in Morogoro came after another incident which happened in Dar es Salaam at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on the Mwananchi Day friendly match between Yanga and Aigle Noir of Burundi where Simba claimed one of their fans was physically attacked by a group of Yanga fans, and his jersey was torn apart.
“Simba fans were viciously attacked by Yanga fans without any color of justification. As the video records would show and this was live on Azam TV,” Simba CEO Barbara Gonzalez complained to TFF after the incident.
“Your inaction against such behaviours and lean responses thus far suggests to us that you are either condoning the same or you are just not willing to uphold good and acceptable sporting behavior for the fans in our country,” said part of the statement.”
Simba and Yanga are the oldest rivals in Tanzanian league history.
