The sport of football in the country of Tanzania is run by the Tanzania Football Federation.
The association administers the national football team, as well as the Premier League. Association football (soccer) is the most popular sport in Tanzania.
Leagues
The Tanzanian league football pyramid uses a promotion and relegation system.
The champions of the nation’s top level of football, Tanzanian Premier League (Ligi Kuu Tanzania Bara) qualify to play in the following season’s CAF Champions League.
The bottom 3 teams are relegated to the Tanzanian First Division League.
Tanzanian Premier League
The Tanzania Mainland Premier League also known as Ligi Kuu Tanzania Bara is the first division of football in Tanzania.
The Tanzania Mainland Premier League is the top-level professional football league in Tanzania and is administered by the Tanzania Football Federation.
The league was formed in 1965 as the “National League”. Its name was later changed to the “First Division Soccer League”, and to the “Premier League” in 1997.
The Tanzania Football Federation is in charge of the football system in the country and has set up a 4-tier structure for promotion and relegation for football in the country.
The league features 20 of the best clubs in Tanzania. The winner of this competition represents the nation in the CAF Champions League.
The bottom 3 teams get relegated to the second tier of the Tanzanian football system.
Tanzanian First Division League
The second division consists of 24 teams. The Ligi Daraja la Kwanza is divided into 3 groups consisting of 8 teams each.
The top 2 teams are promoted to the first division automatically and the next 4 teams in the table go through the playoffs to determine who gets the 3rd spot in the Tanzanian Premier League.
The bottom 2 are automatically relegated to the third tier while the next 4 bottom-placed teams participate in a playoff for survival.
Tanzanian Second Division League
The Ligi Daraja la Pili is the third division that features 24 teams just like the First Division League.
However, this division is split into 4 groups (6 teams in each).
The top 3 teams secure promotion to the second tier of football and the bottom 3 are relegated to the Regional Champions League.
Regional Champions League
The Ligi ya Mabingwa wa Mikoa is the 4th tier of Tanzanian football recognized officially under the Tanzania Football Federation.
It features 28 teams split into 4 groups with 7 in each.
The teams that finish the season in the top 3 are promoted to the third tier in the country.
Tanzania National Main Stadium (Photo: Raidarmax, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Cups
Tanzania FA Cup
Currently known as the Azam Sports Federation Cup, this is the top knockout club football tournament in Tanzania that features all the teams in the major divisions under the Tanzania Football Federation.
It is a single-knockout competition that features clubs from the first division to the last division.
The winner of this qualifies for the CAF Confederation Cup.
TFF Community Shield
This is a game played between the Tanzanian Premier League winners and FA Cup winners.
The winner of this received the Community Shield.