TANZANIA HAS finally decided to hold a dialogue with the world soccer's governing body Fifa in a bid to end a six-month ban that led to the country's suspension from all international football last September.

A high-powered delegation led by the Tanzanian sports minister, Prof Juma Kapuya, left for Fifa headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, yesterday.

The minister is accompanied by the director of sports development, Henry Ramadhan, National Sports Council vice-chairman Leodgar Tenga and Football Association of Tanzania (FAT) chairman, Lt-Col Iddi Kipingu and his vice-chairman Mohammed Missanga, who is also a member of parliament.

Prof Kapuya will inform Fifa that the government is now willing to implement the federation's directives in order to end the stand-off and return the country to the international soccer scene, sources in the sports ministry told The EastAfrican last week.

The visit to Zurich comes in the wake of the March 15 deadline set by the Confederation of African Football (Caf) for Tanzania to end its stand-off with Fifa, or risk having its clubs locked out of this year's continental championships.

The affected clubs are Young Africans, who have qualified for the African Champions League, Mtibwa Sugar, who have been entered in the Caf Cup, and Simba Sports Club, who are to feature in the Cup Winners' Cup (Mandela Cup).

Fifa suspended Tanzania last September following the government's rejection of the world body's directive requiring the formation of a six-member "normalisation" committee to temporarily run football in the country after the ouster of former FAT chairman Muhidin Ndolanga and secretary general Ismail Aden Rage.

Fifa wanted the committee to consist of members of the previous executive committee chaired by Ndolanga and the one that was elected last August in Dodoma led by Lt-Col Iddi Kipingu.

The main objectives of the committee proposed by Fifa were to oversee the amendment of the FAT constitution bring it into line with Fifa statutes, and prepare fresh elections.

Fifa's move followed a fact-finding mission to Dar es Salaam by one of its top officials, Joseph Mifsud, last year. Tanzania was given until last August to implement the directives.

However, the government refused to comply, maintaining that Fifa had no right to interfere with the country's football administration.

Indications that Tanzania would finally agree to Fifa's requirement first came to light last month when Kapuya told journalists that the stand-off with Fifa would be sorted out "soon."

This was followed by FAT's directive two weeks ago to Young Africans, Mtibwa Sugar and Simba clubs to start preparations for their continental assignments.

Tanzania missed the East and Central African Senior Challenge Cup held in Kampala last November and the regional clubs championship hosted by Kenya in January as a result of the Fifa suspension.