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Simba Sports Club has lodged a strong complaint with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) following the abrupt decision to change the venue of their home leg in the CAF Confederation Cup final against RS Berkane.
The club’s leadership convened an emergency meeting in Morocco to deliberate on the development and subsequently resolved to challenge the decision formally.
The club has submitted a detailed letter to CAF, questioning the rationale behind moving the second-leg final from the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam to the New Amaan Complex in Zanzibar.
In the letter, Simba presented three key arguments, emphasizing that the decision to alter the venue was procedurally flawed and unjust.
Simba’s primary concern is the alleged violation of Article 9(3) of the CAF Confederation Cup regulations, which outlines the required procedure for altering match venues.
The regulation states:“The location, date, and kick-off time of group stage, quarter-final, semi-final, and final matches shall be determined by the CAF Club Competitions Committee after consultation with the host federation.”he added
According to Simba, no such consultations took place prior to the decision. The club asserts that CAF’s Club Competitions Committee unilaterally relocated the match to Zanzibar without engaging the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF), the host club (Simba), or the government parties that are typically involved in such decisions.
“We have established that no consultations were held. There was no prior warning from CAF regarding any stadium concerns, and TFF itself did not communicate with CAF about any venue issues. These decisions should involve both the host club and relevant national authorities,” said a senior Simba official.
The second issue raised involves the disruption caused to ticketing and fan logistics. Simba had already begun selling tickets for the final, with over 20,000 tickets sold at the time of the venue change.
The New Amaan Complex in Zanzibar, however, has a maximum capacity of only 15,000 spectators. The club is demanding clarity on the fate of the remaining 5,000+ fans who have already purchased tickets and may now be unable to attend the match due to the venue’s limited capacity.
Simba’s third point raises serious concerns regarding potential bias and conflict of interest surrounding the venue change.
Citing Article 2(3) of the CAF Statutes which upholds principles of integrity and ethical conduct among CAF officials and member associations Simba has expressed doubts about the transparency of the process.
The club has provided evidence suggesting that RS Berkane informed their supporters that the match would be held in Zanzibar before CAF officially announced the venue change.
Simba alleges that this indicates prior knowledge and possibly privileged access to confidential decisions, potentially due to the presence of a high-ranking CAF official with links to RS Berkane.
Additionally, Simba has included documentation showing that RS Berkane had already booked hotel accommodations in Zanzibar even before the CAF announcement was made, further fueling suspicions of procedural impropriety.