DAR ES SALAAM: THE President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe is scheduled to visit Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda next month to evaluate preparations for the Total Energies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN), set for February 2025.
The tournament will mark the first co-hosting by the three East African countries and Tanzania as among the host nations is making significant progress in readying its stadia and infrastructure for the prestigious event.
Key venues include Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Amaan Complex in Zanzibar, and the upcoming state-of-the-art Arusha Sports Complex that is named after President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
The Arusha stadium is designed to accommodate 30,000 spectators and will be the most modern facility of its kind in East Africa, expected to be completed by 2026.
During his visit, Motsepe will also preside over the CAF Executive Committee (EXCO) meeting in Tanzania. The agenda will cover updates on CHAN 2024 preparations, an ambitious plan to invest $1 billion in African football over the next eight years and the findings from the Joint Governance and Audit Committee regarding governance issues within the CAF Secretariat.
The meeting will also address the CAF Awards, set to take place in Marrakech, Morocco, on December 16 this year.
The Tanzanian government has committed substantial resources to ensure readiness for CHAN and future tournaments like the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals, with this year’s budget allocating 125.29 billion TZS for the Arusha Sports Complex, 55.5 billion TZS for the Dodoma Sports Complex, and 26.5 billion TZS for the Dar es Salaam Sports Complex.
In an earlier assessment in August, Motsepe noted that only the Amaan Complex met CAF standards for hosting international matches. However, the government has since intensified efforts to accelerate construction and upgrades at other venues to meet the required standards.
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The co-hosting of CHAN 2024 emphasises East Africa’s growing prominence in African football. Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are expected to collaborate closely to deliver a successful tournament, showcasing the region’s capability to host world-class sporting events.
Motsepe’s upcoming visit highlights CAF’s commitment to ensuring that the three nations are fully prepared, enhancing East Africa’s reputation on the continental football stage
