2015 has been a football year of ups and down for the Largest East African Nation by size. Soka25east writer Austin Oduor Otieno takes  looks at the happenings in the year ending 2015.

April 2015-Azam dethroned as Vodacom League champs.

Young Africans also known as Yanga won a record 25 Vodacom league tittles, the last comprising fourteen teams with unassailable 55 points ,10 ahead of second placed Azam.That last round of matches saw the Jangwani street boys ruthlessly maul Polisi Morogoro 4-1 sending the law enforcers to the lower tier.

Burundian Amissi Tambwe scored a hatrick with Simon Msuva scoring the other.

The win earned them a slot in next 2016 CAF Champions League.This fete also saw Simon Happy God Msuva win the golden boot with 17 goals and the sweet part when he was rewarded a bag of rice from his adoring fans.

May 2015-Vodacom league expanded to 16 teams

After the conclusion of the 14 league team in the top tier.TFF decided to relegate two teams and promote four teams in the top tier making it 16 similar to Kenya,Uganda and Rwanda.With that alignment,Shinyanga based Mwadui,Mwanza’s Toto Africans,MajiMaji of Songea, and African Sports of Tanga all got promoted .

They replaced Ruvu Shooting and Polisi Morogoro who dropped to the second tier,The First Division League.the increase according to TFF’s information officer increased the number of matches from 182 to 240.

June 2015-Tanzania opens AFCON 2017 Qualfiers with a loss

Tanzania faced Egypt in their first AFCON qualifier match in an empty stadium in Suez going down 0-3.Disgruntled Tanzanian fans were left fuming after the loss to Egypt.the second half goals in only nine minutes condemned Taifa stars to a routine defeat against the Egyptians in a Group G clash staged at Alexandria’s 86,000 seater Borg El-Arab Stadium.TFF however insisted Mart Nooij’s status as Taifa Stars coach did not change despite the heavy loss.

June/July:2015-Tanzania eliminated by Uganda in CHAN qualifiers,Nooij Fired as Coach.

Uganda eliminated Tanzania from the CHAN qualifiers that will be staged in Rwanda.They won 4-1 on aggregate after a 0-3 away win in Zanzibar and a 1-1 draw in Kampala.The match that was played at the Nakivubo Stadium saw Kerizon Kizito score a late equalizer after John Bocco had put the Taifa Stars ahead.The loss saw The then coach Mart Nooij sacked.

The same month saw former International player Boniface Charles Mkwasa named the interim coach to replace sacked Dutchman Mart Nooij.they added that his position was to be reviewed by September the same year.He was to overturn a 0-3 loss at home in a reverse fixture in Kampala where he settled for a 1-1 draw.Hemed Morocco was named his assistant.

August 2015-TFF confirms renewing league Sponsorship deal with Vodacom

The Tanzanian Football Federation cleared the atmosphere concerning the mainland league sponsorship after extending Vodacom’s contract with the league to three years.This was confirmed by TFF President Jamal Malinzi.he also said that Azam media group will continue to be the league’s co sponsor.malinzi also said that the league package will be up by 40%

August 2015-Tanzania successfully stage Cecafa Kagame Cup,Azam win maiden title.

Tanzania side, Azam were crowned Champions of the 2015 Cecafa-Kagame cup after a 2-0 win over Kenya’s Gor Mahia in a final played at the National stadium in Dar es Salaam.The win saw Azam win the tournament for the first time after reaching the final on two occasions.Gor Mahia who won the trophy 30 years ago hoped to win their fifth title.John Bocco and Kipre Tcheche scored the goals.

August 2015-CAF awards Tanzania rights to host African 2019 U17 tourney.

The year seemed to have gone the Tanzanian way.After successfully hosting the Cecafa Kagame Cup,The Confederation of African Football (CAF) awarded the 2019 U17 edition to Tanzania,a message that was delivered with utmost joy by the TFF President Jamal Malinzi to the East Africans at a press conference in Dar es salaam.

September 2015-TFF,Azam in landmark ‘FA Cup’ deal

Azam media limited agreed to sponsor the Federation Cup) formerly known as FA Cup to the tune of Tsh 3.3 billion.This tournament was re introduced after a 13 year hiatus.JKT Ruvu were the last champions.The Cup that had already begun last week involves 64 clubs,16 from the VPL,24 from the first division(Second tier) and another 24 from the third tier(Second Division league)

October 2015-Startimes to air Mainland’s second tier league.

TFF in October entered a three year agreement worth Tsh 450 Million with Chinese Company Startimes.TFF President Jamal Malinzi also thanked the Parent company Sahara media and asked the second tier teams to put their turfs in better condition to enhance effective broadcast.

November 2015-Tanzania humiliated in Blida,going down 7-0 to Algeria.

Algeria humiliated Tanzania 7-0 after being held to a 2-2 away draw in dar.Napoli defender Faouzi Ghoulam and Sporting Lisbon striker Islam Silimani bagged two goals each including a penalty a piece as Algeria ran riot in Blida after leading 3-0 at the breather.

Yacine Brahimi,Riyad Mahrez and Carl Medjani also scored for the desert Foxes in one of tanzania’s heaviest defeat away.

December 2015-Magufuli’s hammer hit TFF,Simba and Yanga in trouble

Tough talking newly elected Tanzania’s President John Magufuli’s directive on taxes hit the country’s Football Federation with their bank accpunts frozed after they failed to comply with the Tax regulations.The move also target Tanzanian soccer heavyweights Yanga and Simba who have not been complying with the tax regulations.

Austin Oduor

talking African football