Taxman to freeze TFF accounts
Football
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| Jan 02, 2013
By Gilbert Wandera
TANZANIA: Kenyan players featuring in the Tanzanian league may be headed back home following a decision by the country’s taxman to freeze accounts of the local football federation.
A number of Tanzanian media say the country’s revenue authority has frozen accounts belonging to Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) over tax arrears for salaries of national team coaches since 2006.
In the frozen accounts is approximately 15million Kenyan shillings that was to be disbursed to local clubs to allow them kick off the second leg of the league on January 26.
Without the money, the top clubs have threatened to boycott all league matches creating fears over the job security of Kenyan players who will be forced to cancel their contracts.
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The clubs want the money to enable them begin preparation for the second leg by paying player’s allowances.
Tanzanian newspaper Daily News reported there has been no break through in negotiations with the tax authorities who have remained adamant that tax arrears amounting to over Sh20million be cleared before the accounts are opened.
A number of Kenyan players now feature in the Tanzanian league which is the most lucrative in the region paying salaries of as high as Sh85,000 per month and sign on fees amounting to as much as Sh500,000.
Just two weeks ago, two Kenyan internationals signed a deal to join Azam.
They include Jockins Atudo who was formerly with Tusker and Humphrey Mieno of Sofapaka.
Other Kenyan players in the Tanzanian league include Ibrahim Shikanda (Azam), Pascal Ochieng’ (Simba) and Jerry Santos (Coastal Union).
Elsewhere, the annual Mapinduzi Cup tournament kicks off today in Zanzibar with Kenya represented by Tusker.
The tournament is held annually to commemorate Zanzibar’s revolution on January 12, 1964.
It offers top flight competition, with the leading team from the Tanzanian Mainland league taking on the popular teams in the Zanzibar Island.
Among the top Tanzanian sides expected to take part in the Mapinduzi Cup is Azam who are straight from a tournament in Congo in which they emerged champions.
The Azam side will line up a number of Kenyan players among them internationals Humphrey Mieno, the ex-Sofapaka midfielder and defender Jockins Atudo who has just departed from Tusker.
Yanga, with a tour set Turkey will be missing from the tournament in Zanzibar.
The Mapinduzi Cup tournament will take place at the Amaan Stadium. There will be two matches daily, the first kicking off at 4.30pm and the second at 8pm.