The Community Shield encounter between Mainland premier league champions Simba and second placed Azam FC will take place on August 25 in Dar es Salaam.

Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) information officer Boniface Wambura said yesterday that the match will be used as a Premier League curtain raiser.

He said the Premier League will kick off on September 1 while Premier League fixtures will be released on July 23.

Meanwhile, this year’s first division soccer league (FDL) will comprise 20 teams instead of 18, TFF has said.

Wambura said yesterday that the body’s executive committee had approved a proposal made by the tournament’s competition committee that the league have 20 teams.

He said the change was done to enable the National League (NL) be played in zonal format. This season two more teams will join the normal promoted three to bring to five the newcomers.

The three teams which came from the national league to play in first division league are Kanembwa JKT of Kigoma, Ndanda SC of Mtwara and Polisi Mara.

Wambura said that there will be a play-off at a date to be set to get two teams which will join the three in the league. The teams earmarked for play-off are three teams which were dropped from FDL and three which finished second in the NL played Kigoma, Mtwara and Musoma stations.

Teams which were relegated from the FDL are AFC of Arusha, Samaria of Singida and Temeke United of Dar es Salaam. Those who finished second in the NL are Kurugenzi of Iringa, Mwadui of Shinyanga and Tessema of Dar es Salaam.

FDL will kick off on September 15.