THE Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB) is set to revisit and revise its current fixture schedule to accommodate Simba SC’s historic qualification for the CAF Confederation Cup final, according to TPLB Information Officer Karim Boimanda.

Boimanda confirmed that the league’s planning department will urgently meet to design a new fixture layout that balances Simba’s commitments on the continental stage with their domestic obligations, without compromising the scheduled conclusion of the Mainland Premier League season.

“Our Premier League’s planning department will sit down and re-arrange the schedule. The aim is to provide space for Simba to prepare for the two important final matches both away and home while ensuring the league ends at the scheduled time,” Boimanda said.

Simba returned to Tanzania on Monday following their 0-0 draw away to Stellenbosch FC in South Africa. The result, paired with their earlier 1-0 home win in Zanzibar, secured them a spot in the CAF Confederation Cup final. 

The Msimbazi giants will now face Moroccan side RS Berkane in a two-legged final slated for May 17 and 25. However, Simba’s progression to the final has thrown their domestic fixture calendar into disarray. 

The club has eight matches in hand, including five Premier League games originally scheduled to be played between May 2 and May 11.  The congested calendar also includes a Federation Cup semi-final clash against Singida Black Stars on May 18 and a rescheduled Dar es Salaam Derby against archrivals Young Africans (Yanga), which was initially postponed on March 8.

According to the original Premier League schedule, Simba were set to play against Mashujaa FC on May 2, JKT Tanzania on May 5, Pamba Jiji on May 8, and KMC FC on May 11. These matches would have paved the way for them to join the rest of the 15 teams in completing the final three rounds of the season, due to end on May 25.

Simba were also scheduled to face Singida Black Stars on May 14 in the league, followed by an away trip to relegated KenGold FC on May 21, before concluding their season against Kagera Sugar on May 25. 

The long-awaited Dar es salaam Derby against Young Africans still awaits a new date, further complicating the congested calendar. With the CAF Confederation Cup final matches now set between May 17 and 25, dates that clash with Simba’s previously scheduled league and cup fixtures, the TPLB is under pressure to ensure that both Simba’s continental ambitions and domestic commitments are managed without disrupting the season’s end date.

The Federation Cup semi-final, originally scheduled for May 18 in Babati, Manyara Region, is also expected to be rescheduled, given its clash with Simba’s away trip to Morocco for the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup final.

Boimanda acknowledged the complexity of the situation, especially with CAF’s earlier directive that domestic club competitions should conclude by June 1 to align with the upcoming 2025 CHAN tournament scheduled for August. 

However, he noted that multiple national associations are likely to miss that deadline. “Many leagues will likely have to adjust their calendars because it’s becoming increasingly difficult to complete all fixtures before June 1, especially in Tanzania. 

“Everything will become clearer once our department finalizes the revised schedule,” Boimanda explained. While TPLB is working behind the scenes to draft a feasible plan, Simba’s advancement to the final has been widely celebrated by Tanzanian football fans, as the club becomes the country’s sole representative in a major continental final this season. 

However, their success has come with logistical headaches that demand quick and strategic administrative responses from the league’s governing bodies.

Simba’s journey to the final marks a significant achievement in Tanzanian club football, and the forthcoming fixtures against RS Berkane present both an opportunity for silverware and a test of endurance amid a packed May calendar.

All eyes now turn to the TPLB’s next move, as fans, clubs, and stakeholders await the revised fixture schedule that will determine how the remainder of the 2024/25 season unfolds for Simba and the Premier League at large.