National women football team, Twiga Stars

As one way of generating money for the national women football team, Twiga Stars, mobile phone providers Tigo will today launch a campaign to raise funds at a function to be held at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

The historical event will start at 11:00am and will be graced by the deputy minister for Information, Youth, Culture and Sports, Dr Fenella Mukangara.

A media release signed by the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) media officer, Boniface Wambura, said Tigo through its ‘Tigo Pesa’ will launch the initiative which is aimed at helping Twiga Stars to get money from Tanzanians and other soccer lovers.

The contributions, according to Wambura, will help Twiga Stars to prepare for the coming international tournament.

The team is currently competing in Africa Women Championship (AWC) and will face Ethiopia in Addis Ababa on May 26.

Twiga Stars, like most national sports’ teams, depend on the government, companies, organisations and individuals for their survival.

In another development, Wambura said TFF is committed to improve youth refereeing in the country through the Twalipo Camp Center at Mgulani in Dar es Salaam.

Wambura said the federation will continue to organize training for the youth referees and give them practical opportunities to officiate some games.    

He said the development will help to improve refereeing in the country and also build a new era of football officiating.

According to Wambura, the idea of having youth referees was started by Major Bakari of Twalipo Camp Center in Mgulani and since then the soccer’s governing body has been supporting the youth by providing extra training.

He said two weeks ago the federation organized a training course for the youth referees which was under Confederation of African Football (CAF) instructor, Leslie Liunda.

The information officer further said his body has already used the youth referees in Under 20 tournament, Rollingstone youth tournament which was held in Arusha and Copa Coca Cola finals.

The tournaments were held last year.

Wambura insisted that the TFF’s aim is to build them into future competent referees.