AFCON 2027: Kudos to PM’s Committee for push on delivery

DAR ES SALAAM: THE tone for AFCON 2027 was set some time back when the National Steering Committee was first introduced.

On July 28, 2026, Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba chaired another key meeting in Zanzibar to take stock and push the work forward.

Tanzania, together with Kenya and Uganda, will cohost the Africa Cup of Nations and the message coming out of Zanzibar was clear: we are past planning; now it is about execution.

That meeting deserves credit. By convening the Union Government and the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar under one chair, with Second Vice-President Hemed Suleiman Abdullah serving as Co-Chairperson, the committee reinforced unity of purpose.

It was not about launching the process. It was about doing the work, reviewing milestones and removing bottlenecks almost a year before kickoff. That is the right approach.

This will be the first AFCON hosted jointly by three East African nations and that makes the responsibility heavier. The world will not judge us as three separate hosts. They will judge us as one region.

If one airport delays, if one road fails, if one stadium is not ready, the entire region’s reputation suffers.

The Zanzibar meeting mattered because it forced us to align nationally while thinking regionally.

The committee reviewed key strategies, but what came through most clearly was the need for coordination across sectors.

AFCON is not only a football tournament. It is a test of infrastructure, health services, security, transport, immigration and tourism.

Ministries cannot afford to work in silos. Regional authorities in host cities must align with national institutions.

Airports must be ready, roads must be passable, immigration desks must be efficient and fan zones must be safe and welcoming.

Coordination like this requires monthly tracking, clear targets and accountability. Health stood out as a priority area.

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Deputy Minister for Health Dr Florence Samizi represented Minister Mohamed Mchengerwa and reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment.

Preventive, curative and emergency services must be in place for players, officials and the thousands of fans expected.

Stadiums will be full, hotels will be busy and our health system must be able to respond to anything from routine care to emergencies without breaking. Identifying this early deserves applause.

The next step is to budget for it, staff it and drill it. CAF’s standards are also non-negotiable.

Pitch quality, floodlights, VAR, media facilities, accommodation and transport corridors all have to meet international benchmarks. The Benjamin Mkapa Stadium and other venues must not just be ready; they must be excellent.

That is what will determine whether we are remembered as good hosts or great ones. Resolutions in committee rooms are important. Delivering on the ground is what will count.

Beyond football, there is an economic opportunity. AFCON will bring tourists, media coverage and investors. Small businesses, from hotels to bodaboda riders to food vendors and artists, should be positioned to benefit.

If the steering committee keeps pushing coordination, the gains will be felt far beyond the 90 minutes on the pitch.

But opportunity only becomes results when ministries of trade, tourism and local government turn plans into permits, training and market access.

The Prime Minister’s continued leadership sends a strong message of political will and the committee deserves kudos for keeping momentum. But the Zanzibar meeting was a reminder that the tone had been set earlier. Now it is time to deliver.

Delivering for AFCON 2027 means matching our ambition as a nation with action every month, in every sector, until the final whistle!