Uhuru Stadium nears readiness for CAF assignments

DAR ES SALAAM: THE government has assured football stakeholders that the ongoing improvements at Uhuru Stadium will be completed by the end of next week, as efforts intensify to prepare the venue for CAF inter-club competitions.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry for Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Gerson Msigwa, who is also the Government Spokesperson, said the remaining works were aimed at addressing requirements raised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), assuring that no outstanding issues would prevent the stadium from hosting continental matches.

He said the improvements were progressing well, with contractors working to meet the deadline and ensure the venue was ready for the upcoming assignments.

“Let me assure you that by the end of next week, we will have completed everything. Our goal is to ensure that Uhuru Stadium has no shortcomings that could prevent it from hosting CAF Champions League or Confederation Cup matches,” Msigwa said.

He added that the government was working closely with the four clubs involved in continental competitions: Simba, Young Africans, Singida Black Stars and Azam FC, to ensure they were adequately prepared.

Msigwa said Simba and Yanga had requested to use Uhuru Stadium for their home matches, while Azam FC had the option of playing at their own venue.

He reiterated the government’s commitment to improving sports infrastructure to support clubs participating in international competitions.

Meanwhile, Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) President Wallace Karia said technical experts had already inspected Uhuru Stadium and were expected to submit a report on its suitability for hosting the continental fixtures.

Karia expressed optimism that the venue would meet the required standards, noting that improvement works were already under way following consultations on the necessary adjustments.

He said the ongoing work was expected to take about two weeks, with the first match scheduled for November 27, making timely completion essential.

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“We have confidence that the stadium will be ready. That is why we held discussions and started implementing the required improvements. Even now, work is continuing at Uhuru Stadium and we expect the contractors and technical experts to complete the outstanding tasks within two weeks,” Karia said.

The TFF president also said he was working to ensure that all four national envoys that have reached the group stages of their respective CAF competitions could play their matches in the country.