March 13 – Tanzania has again been warned by FIFA that it will be suspended if the government interferes in the administration of the sport.
FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke has written to Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) President Leodegar Tenga, alerted by media reports.
Valcke reiterated that all FIFA member associations have to manage their affairs independently and asked Tenga to brief the relevant authorities about potential consequences.
If Tanzania were suspended, the country would be banned from international tournaments including the 2014 World Cup qualifiers.
Tanzania are currently placed second in Group C of the African qualifiers with three points from two matches, one adrift of group leaders Cote d’Ivoire, and are scheduled to face Morocco later this month.
Any ban would also affect Azam, the only Tanzanian club still remaining in the African club competitions.
Deputy Minister for Information, Culture, Youth and Sports, Amos Makalla said FIFA was misinformed and rubbished claims that government is planning to form an interim body to run TFF.
In a counter-charge Makalla suggested that propaganda was deliberately being spread by individuals at the federation trying to defend their own interests.
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