Tanzania is constructing and renovating stadia in preparation for hosting the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals, a cabinet minister said on Thursday.
Minister of Culture, Arts and Sports Damas Ndumbaro said the government’s main responsibility now is the construction and renovation of stadiums that will be used during the 2027 AFCON finals co-hosted by Kenya and Uganda.
The stadiums under construction include the state-of-the-art stadium in the northern city of Arusha, which is being constructed by China Railway Construction Engineering Group, a leading Chinese construction company, and the renovation of the 60,000-seat Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in the port city of Dar es Salaam.
He also revealed that another stadium will be built in Dodoma, the country’s capital.
Meanwhile, the 2023/24 CAF Champions League campaign reaches a crescendo when four heavyweights meet in the first leg semi-finals on Saturday.
The return leg is scheduled for April 25-26.
Al Ahly (Egypt), TP Mazembe (DR Congo), Espérance Sportive Tunis (Tunisia) and Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) are the four remaining clubs contending for Africa’s most prized club football crown.
It has been 10 years since the Democratic Republic of Congo side, TP Mazembe — former FIFA Club World Cup finalists — reached the final.
They will have to overcome a major hurdle in champions Al Ahly in Lubumbashi.
In Tunis, ES Tunis welcome Mamelodi Sundowns, whose 2016 title is coupled with a recent confidence-boosting African Football League (AFL) triumph that has elevated their pedigree on the continent.
Very small margins separate the four clubs who all have championship mettle and an equal chance of going all the way this season.
