The coach openly accused the referee of bias after the official failed to shake his hand during Saturday’s tie in Dar es Salaam
Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) has responded to the racism claims made by Yanga SC head coach Luc Eymael after their match against Azam FC.
In his post-match interview, an agitated Eymael accused a match official of failing to shake his hand after Yanga lost 1-0 to their Mainland rivals.
The TFF, through a communique seen by Goal and signed by media officer Clifford Ndimbo, has now ordered the relevant authorities to dig deep into what might have transpired and take appropriate action.
“Racism has no space within Tanzanian football fraternity. Our country has never and will never be known to tolerate racial segregation or it has never propelled agenda that are seen as racial-oriented,” the statement by TFF read in part.
“It is our hope the committee and the bodies in charge of running our league, within 72 hours, will thoroughly investigate the act which happened during the Vodacom Premier League (VPL) match between Azam FC vs Yanga SC. We hope they will take the necessary actions in accordance with regulations and laws that govern football.”
Eymael claimed the official, even after warning him with a yellow card, did not want to shake his hand.
“When the referee came to me, he shows me a yellow card then I want to give him my hand, then he says he doesn’t want my hand, so what are you here, because I am white, you have a problem with white people?” Eymael told reporters after the match.
“It is very bad, so even me when I will go back to Belgium, I will say Tanzania, they are racist, I want to shake their hands, they don’t want my hand, I don’t want your hand, what is that I am very upset, it is racism, pure racism, we are in 2020, you want to tell me in Belgium we don’t have black people? Is that integration?”
The 1-0 loss to Azam meant Yanga suffered a second straight defeat after their loss Kagera Sugar in the new coach’s first game in charge.
Eymael is yet to post a positive result since his appointment as Wananchi’s head coach.
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