The firestorm between Yanga SC and the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) continues to rage, with growing calls for TFF President Wallace Karia to resign over serious allegations regarding unpaid FA Cup (CRDB) prize money for the past three seasons.
Yanga has publicly claimed that they have never received the prize money they were entitled to after winning the trophy for three consecutive seasons. Their claims amount to over Tsh 490 million. Even after TFF reportedly deducted money citing "club debts," Yanga asserts that they are still owed Tsh 226 million.
TFF, on their part, responded by stating they had received Tsh 215 million from CRDB, the cupâs sponsor, but the funds were not transferred to Yanga due to prior agreements allowing TFF to deduct the clubâs debts directly from prize winnings.
This situation has sparked widespread online debate, with louder voices from football fans and stakeholders. Former Yanga spokesperson Haji Manara raised serious concerns, questioning why Karia is still in office despite the controversy.
âHeâs still at Karume? What is he waiting for? Theyâve pocketed sponsor money for three years under the excuse of debts and theyâre still in office,â Manara wrote on social media.
What has further fueled the controversy is CRDBâs official statement confirming that they had fulfilled their contractual obligations by paying TFF, placing the burden squarely on the federation. While fans hoped for a fair resolution, TFF invited Yanga to the table for what they termed a debt audit, a move seen by many as an attempt to calm tensions rather than resolve the core issue.
Itâs worth noting that this saga escalated when Yanga threatened to boycott this seasonâs FA Cup final if they werenât paid their dues from the previous season. That ultimatum forced both CRDB and TFF to issue public statements, but instead of calming the situation, tensions only worsened.
Will Karia Survive This Storm?
At the moment, pressure is mounting. TFF is facing a clear crisis of leadership and trust. If itâs indeed true that Yanga hasnât been paid for three seasons despite TFF receiving the sponsorâs funds, then a major question remains: Where did the money go?
In any case, this saga should mark the beginning of serious reforms in financial management within Tanzaniaâs football institutions. Transparency and accountability must prevail, or else TFFâs reputation will continue to sufferâand Karia may ultimately be the biggest casualty of the growing pressure.
