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Tanzanian football body bans ex-Yanga coach for two years for ‘racist’ remarks


Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) has banned former Yanga coach Luc Eymael from coaching in the country for two years.

TFF’s Disciplinary Committee made this announcement on Monday.

“Eymael has been banned for two years and also fined Tsh8 million (about Sh400,000) after he was found guilty of inciting and uttering words considered to be racist,” TFF said in a statement.

The ruling comes just a week after the Belgian was fired by Yanga for referring to Tanzanian football fans as ‘monkeys and illiterate’ in his post-match comments in the final game of the 2020/2021 league season against Lipuli.

Eymael later apologised for the incident but claimed he was provoked by a Simba SC fan into making those remarks.

Simba are Yanga’s cross-town rivals, and the two teams have dominated the Tanzanian football for decades.

Having returned to Belgium, the 60-year-old had sent his lawyer to represent him at the case.

“I will be represented (at the Disciplinary Committee) by my lawyer. I’m not racist at all. I could never have been able to work in Africa for 10 years if I am racist,” Eymael explained in an interview prior to the ruling.

Eymael, who has previously coached AFC Leopards and three clubs in South Africa, has been under fire from football stakeholders and the South Africa Football Association (SAFA) recently announced it will write to its government not to process a work permit for the experienced coach in the event he gets a job in the country.