Mapinduzi Cup pulls national teams

ZANZIBAR: THE Zanzibar Football Federation (ZFF) President Suleiman Jabir has expressed strong support for the decision to allow national teams to compete in the 2025 Mapinduzi Cup finals, highlighting the benefits of the move.

This year’s annual football tournament will feature six national teams: Zanzibar Heroes (hosts), Kilimanjaro Stars (Tanzania Mainland), Harambee Stars (Kenya), The Cranes (Uganda), Burundi and Burkina Faso.

Traditionally, the competition brings together top football clubs from the East African block and other invited teams to compete for the championship.

However, the 2025 edition will offer a new twist, with inclusion of national teams.

“As you know, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda will jointly host the much-anticipated 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals. These countries will also host the 2025 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) finals. Therefore, their participation in the Mapinduzi Cup will serve as an ideal preparation for the CHAN contest,” Jabir said recently in Zanzibar.

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He further explained that the six national teams will be divided into groups, with the top two teams from each group progressing to the semi-finals. The final match is set to take place on January 13, 2025.

Jabir also noted that the competition will be held at Gombani Stadium in Pemba, as the New Amaani Sports Complex is currently undergoing major renovations. The artificial turf is being replaced with natural grass, which will allow the venue to meet the requirements for hosting major CAF competitions that is to be played only on natural turf.

The New Amaani Sports Complex is one of three Tanzanian venues selected to host the 2027 AFCON finals, along with Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam and the new Samia Stadium under construction in Arusha.

Samia Stadium, which is expected to be completed in 22 months, will be a state-of-the-art facility, with an estimated cost of 286bn/-. It will be one of the key venues for the AFCON 2027 tournament, where Tanzania will co-host alongside Kenya and Uganda.

The stadium is being built by the China Railway Construction Engineering Group Limited (CRCEG), with officials assuring the Tanzanian government that the facility will meet the highest standards