Although Tanzania may not have performed very well in sports in terms of silverware and long lasting sporting laurels compared to its 50 year age since she attained her independence from the British on December 9th 1961.
Yet it was through sports, and football in particular, that helped Tanganyikans quite considerably in forging and strengthening their struggle for political independence in 1950s.
It is perhaps worthwhile reminding the world that South Africa, Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia and Mozambique would not have been where they are today if Tanzania had not been there for them during their bloody liberation struggle.
Tanzania that had played a major role to mid-wife a number of countries in central and southern Africa had itself been partly empowered by football!
Football played two roles in bringing about Tanganyika’s independence.
Firstly, it was used as a venue for collecting money for financing Mwalimu Julius Nyerere’s passage to the United Nations in New York where he often travelled to in the course of agitating for the Tanganyika’s independence.
This was attested to the author in an interview with former Young Africans left winger and national player, Abdulrahman Lukongo in 2007.
Lukongo does not remember the exact year, but says: “We (Dar es Salaam combine) played two matches against Zanzibar at the Mnazimmoja grounds in the city.”
Through Lukongo we come to learn that apart from the Ilala Stadium which was later named after the slain founder of the Zanzibar nation, Sheikh Abeid Amani Karume, Mnazimmoja grounds was the second major soccer field in the city.
According to lukongo, proceeds from the matches were used to finance Mwalimu’s passage to the United Nations in New York.
It is important to bear in mind that during the time, it was not easy for Tanganyikans to form political parties for agitating for their independence for the simple reason that security organs would not allow them to do that.
In fact whoever dared to cross the line by plunging into politics, efforts were made by the British to ensure that such a person was denied employment.
This explains why Mwalimu Nyerere was forced to leave his lucrative teaching job at Pugu Secondary School in order to lead the Tanganyika African National Union, TANU.
It was clear to him that he could not continue with his job while simultaneously working on a political party that sought to unseat the British in Tanganyika.
Again Lukongo recalls how Tanu members were secretly recruited as fans watched either matches or training sessions at the Jangwani playing fields.
Lukongo speaks bitterly over the neglected grounds which he says played a sterling role towards the country’s independence struggle.
Therefore in case of recruitment of new Tanu and other political objectives, football played the second role, namely that of using it as a cover against probing eyes of British security organs.
One wonders what would have happened to Tanu, especially in Dar es Salaam during the hey-days of the liberation struggle in the country without the presence of football and their fans!
Apart from helping Tanu in spreading its tentacles in the country, football also played a major role in introducing Tanganyikans to new technology, the steam engine!
In the words of Tanzania’s soccer player of the century (a tag brought by and recognized by the Federation of International Football Association, Fifa), Mr Mathias Kissa, the steam engine was during the time the new kid on the block.
In an interview with the author in 2007, Kissa said initially, the engines were driven by Singhs (referred to in Kiswahili as Singasinga) before they were later joined by Indians.
“It was a big prestige during the time for one to be entrusted with the task of driving such engines which were initially wood fired before the advent of coal,” says Kissa.
Kissa who played for the national soccer team as a striker during regional soccer tournaments referred to as Gossage Cup was probably one of the most educated players at the time having completed class ten then known as Territorial.
He said the first Tanganyikan of African descent to drive the engine was Mr Yunge Mwanansali, also from Tabora, who played both for Tabora during Sunlight soccer tournament currently Taifa Cup and the national soccer team as a skipper.
Kissa said Mwanansali’s capability as an engine driver later opened the door for other Tanganyikans in the engine’s saddle.
“One can thus rightly say that football played a major role in introducing young Tanganyikans to other professions,” says Kissa.
Kissa who witnessed the development of the steam engine from wood to coal fired and later electric diesel that saw the arrival of the Canadian built engines says train transport was the most comfortable at the time much as it took quite a while from one point to another.
He said as time went by, educated former footballers became administrators in government offices, and particularly, in what was then known as the East African Railways and Harbours (EARH), a regional transport concern that operated buses, train, steamer services in the region’s water bodies and later planes through the East African Airways, EAA.
He says for one to succeed during the time, it was important to combine academic and sports excellence.
Unfortunately for Kissa he was forced to hang up his boots after criticizing the national soccer leadership over corruption that revolved around national team players’ allowances!
“Having exposed their dirty tricks, I realized that they would not give me an opportunity to represent the nation…so I decided to call it a day,” says Kissa visibly disturbed.
Much as Tanzania is not known regionally and continentally, as far as football is concerned, yet it was Tanzania that introduced to the region modernity and professionalism in the beautiful game!
A former Sunderland Sports Club fan, presently referred to as Dar es Salaam’s Simba Sports Club, Mr Aloyce Kalinga (deceased) said Tanganyika’s TPC was the first club club/team in East, Central and Southern Africa to put on proper football shoes and stocking in 1950s.
He said most football players during the time used to play barefoot with a few of them putting on some tarpaulin like material which came to be referred to as pats.
It was a vogue during the time for football players to round their knees and ankles with pats which offered them protection against thorns, course sands and sharp grasses on soccer pitches in the course of matches.
Kalinga said the TPC soccer club located at Arusha Chini, present Kilimanjaro Region was the first professional soccer club in the region, recruiting soccer players from Kenya and Uganda.
It is important to note that TPC players were paid salaries for nothing but to play football, and the team reigned in soccer in the region for many years.
One of the well known foreign players who played for TPC was Kenya’s international custodian, Ben Okoth who had the safest pair of hands between the posts.
Okoth played for TPC in 1960s, partnering with Kitwana Manara in the posts before the latter moved to join Dar es Salaam’s Young Africans where he later became a striker, turning into one of the most dangerous headers in the region.
“We first saw tracksuits from TPC players,” says Kalinga. Let him take over the story.
“The club (TPC) had come to take on Dar es Salaam’s big guns, Sunderland and Young Africans.
“We were surprised to see all 22 players in suits which we were told was referred to as tracksuits.
We wondered how they were going to play against Young Africans in such suits.
“However, immediately the referee summoned both teams to the centre of the pitch, ready for the start of the match, TPC players took off their tracksuits and remained with their uniforms!
This was another surprise to us. Indeed, little did we know that the players had worn their tracksuits over their uniforms!” says Kalinga.
Kalinga describes the donning of tracksuits by TPC players as the introduction of modernity in what has come to be referred by soccer fraternity as the beautiful game.
A few years later, other teams followed suit. The second local team to introduce tracksuits to its players was Young Africans. It all happened during their return home from a month-long tour of Romania in 1970.
Apart from introducing professionalism and soccer modernity in the region, TPC also employed the bulk of Tanzania soccer players who later formed the core of its national soccer team in Gossage Cup tournaments.
Some of Tanzania’s top soccer players who played for TPC included Mbwana Abushiri, Sembwana, John Lyimo, Mohamed Shariff (skipper), Kitwana Manara and Abdallah Aziz.
Mbwana Bushiri and Abadallah Aziz later joined the Tanzania Peoples Defence Forces, TPDF, with the latter who was one of the most dangerous left-wingers ever produced in the country later rising to Lieutenant-Colonel in the TPDF.
Mbwana was taken on board in order to help the TPDF in forging its soccer team. However, for some inexplicable reasons, TPDF could not get what it wanted.
But, despite playing a pioneering role in the introduction of professionalism and modernity in soccer in the region, nationally, Tanzania continued to lag behind both Kenya and Uganda in regional soccer tournaments.
However, in 1964 and 1965, things finally changed with
Tanzania breaking the proverbial jinx!
This is when they lifted the coveted regional soccer trophy, Gossage Cup, after beating Kenya, Uganda and Zanzibar.
The Tanzania national team was during the two years under the tutelage of a Yugoslavian coach, Milan Celebic.
Interestingly, 1964/65 would become a turning point in sports in Tanzania, for it was during the period that the country won back to back East African Safari Rally through its British drivers, Bert Shankland and Chris Rothwell who were however, driving a French made car, Peugeot 404.
Shankland who returned to Britain late in 1980s, was for over two decades the chief executive officer of Peugeot Tanzania Limited, an agent of Peugeot cars in the country.
The two rally drivers’ victory in one of the world’s toughest motor rallies was the first to be recorded by the country.
Another Tanzanian driver who did well in such motor rallies by finishing the race inside the best ten for several years was Zully Rhemtullah.
Rhemtullah who lived in Mwanza during the time, has since moved to Dar es Salaam where he turned his energy in training indigenous Tanzanian cricketers.
Presently Rhemtullah is credited for turning around cricket, and it is a matter of time before Tanzania becomes a cricket power house in the world.
The motor rally which collapsed with the demise of the East African Community (EAC) in February 1977 was a fitting test of man and the machine.
Apart from East African drivers, the motor rally that drew many tourists to the region saw the participation of foreign drivers who had their cars flown into the region a few weeks before the start of the motor rally.
One of the regular foreign drivers who participated in the motor rally was Polish driver, Zasada who drove Porsche.
During the motor rally, every section of the region had its own motoring challenges.
Black spots in the rally route included the Ruwenzori area in Uganda, the dry, windy and dusty areas in most parts of Kenya and the slippery section of the Usambara Mountains which tested, quite considerably, drivers’ skills negotiating their way through mud.
However, when all is said and done, motoring pundits were agreed on one thing, that the East African Rally was won or lost in Tanzania’s Usambara Mountains which was always characterized by heavy rains.
Rains could not be avoided during the motor rally for the simple reason that the event was held during Easter when most parts of the region experienced heavy rains.
Looking back with nostalgia at the period that was, apart from boosting tourism in the region, the motor Rally helped in cementing regional integration through the EAC.
Indeed, it was during this time that East African motor rally enthusiasts turned out in big numbers not only to admire at the courage shown by motor rally drivers, but they also helped numerous cars whenever they got stuck in mud.
In terms of using sports as a vehicle for forging friendship with other countries the world over, both the government and Tanzanian sports organizations went to work immediately after independence.
For instance, some of the countries whose teams were invited to visit Tanzania for a series of friendly matches included Ghana, China, Britain and Brazil.
Ghana’s mighty national soccer team, Black Stars, was the first to make a tour of the country, beating their Tanzanian counterparts 6-1.
Next on the line was Britain’s West Blomwich Albion after winning the FA Cup.
The British soccer club currently in the Barclays Premier League visited Tanzania in 1968 and drew twice 1-1 against Dar es Salaam Combine and the Tanzania national soccer team, presently referred to as Taifa Stars.
Interestingly, all the two goals were scored through headers by the same player, former British international, Jeff Astle.
In 1970, the Chinese national soccer team toured Tanzania for a series of friendly matches against their Tanzanian counterparts.
And in 1974 it was the turn of Brazilian soccer clubs that included Galicia and Fulminense.
However, if there is any team that Tanzanians had for a long time wanted to see, it was Brazil during the hey days of the world’s soccer maestro, Pele.
Young Africans had planned to bring Pele’s club, Santos as far back as 1974, however, it was not until last year (2010) that the Brazilian national soccer team finally arrived.
The samba boys who took on Taifa Stars in a friendly match were then on their way to South Africa to take part in the World Cup hosted for the first time in history by an African country, South Africa.
Another first in the Brazilian/Taifa Stars match was the fact that the game was played in an ultra modern stadium built through Chinese government’s assistance.
By Attilio Tagalile
No comments:
Post a Comment