Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) President Wallace Karia has announced the removal of the rule that allowed visiting teams to conduct their final training session at the match venue before match day.
He said that from now on, the arrangement will only apply when a team is playing at that particular stadium for the first time.
Karia said the changes are aimed at improving the organization of competitions and addressing challenges that have frequently emerged from the implementation of the previous rule. According to him, there is no reason for a team to hold its final training session at a stadium it is already familiar with due to having played there regularly.
The rule has been a source of disputes in some Tanzania Premier League matches, especially Simba and Yanga derbies, where disagreements have emerged over the visiting team’s right to train at the match venue.
Many remember what happened on March 8, 2025, in match number 184, when Simba refused to proceed, claiming they had been prevented from conducting their final training session at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.
There have also been incidents linked to superstitious practices, where some teams have used that time to carry out such activities. This decision by TFF is expected to be a major setback for those who have invested in such practices.
