TPLB bans Jamhuri Stadium from hosting competitive matches

Jamhuri Stadium is the latest facility to be banned from hosting any top tier matches, effective immediately.

The stadium's standards have been going down owing to poor maintenance by the management. It is for this reason the Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB) has decided to act. 

"TPLB has suspended the usage of Jamhuri Stadium in Morogoro from hosting any match until renovations are done," read a statement from the Board and obtained by Goal.

"The following areas should be renovated; the playing surface, the changing rooms, and the technical bench area.

"The committee will assess the stadium after the aforementioned renovation before giving a green light on its usage."

The Board recently banned Ushirika Stadium in Moshi from hosting any competitive matches and gave them three weeks to renovate the facility.

"TPLB has banned the use of Ushirika Stadium... from hosting any top-tier matches, or even competitions owing to missing vital requirements as explained in the rules governing the game in the country," read part of another statement.

"The Board has given the management 21 days to make renovations in the stadium in the aforementioned areas before the Inspection Committee visits the facility for inspection.  

"Following the decision we ask Polisi Tanzania, who use the venue as the home ground, to start using Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium in Arusha for their on-going matches for the 2020-21 league campaign."

Other facilities to have been banned by TPLB include Mabatini based in Mlandizi, Pwani, Karume, and Gwambina Stadiums. 

Karume Stadium based in Mara was banned from hosting any competitive matches owing to the poor playing surface compared to Gwambina, whose playing surface was classified as substandard by TPLB.

Gwambina FC, who were promoted to the top-tier for this campaign, have been advised to use either CCM Kirumba or Nyamagana Stadiums, both based in Mwanza, as their home ground for the time being.

The TPLB is working closely with Azam TV, who are the official broadcasters of the Mainland Premier League, to have selected venues outside Dar es Salaam to host night matches this season.

The current season saw teams reduced from 20 to 18 to enable ample time to prepare between league matches.