DODOMA: TANZANIA has emerged as one of the leading African nations in sports, ranking among the top three countries for consistent performance in competitions organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) over the past four years.
During a briefing in Dodoma, the Minister for Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Palamagamba Kabudi, said that Tanzania follows only Morocco and Senegal in this impressive ranking.
“The investments in sports, championed by the country’s number one sportsperson, Samia Suluhu Hassan, have enabled our national teams to qualify for these competitions. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Tanzania’s top sports figure, Samia Suluhu Hassan, for her continued prioritisation of the sports sector,” he said.
He stressed that under President Samia’s administration, Tanzania has successfully qualified for all seven CAF competitions during this period, thanks to a significant increase in sports investment.
Among the notable events for which Tanzania’s national teams have qualified are the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup, CHAN 2024, AFCON 2025 and Futsal.
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The government has allocated 8.5bn/- to support national teams’ participation in these competitions. Minister Kabudi expressed deep appreciation for President Samia’s prioritisation of the sports sector, acknowledging her pivotal role in these successes.
He also announced that, for the first time since its inception in 1957, Tanzania will co-host the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in 2027 alongside Kenya and Uganda.
Tanzania will also host the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in August 2025, presenting further opportunities for economic growth and job creation, particularly for young people through infrastructure development.
The government has reserved a total of 161.977bn/- for the construction and renovation of sports facilities in preparation for AFCON 2027.
Ongoing projects include a new 32,000-seat football stadium in Arusha, renovations of Uhuru and Benjamin Mkapa stadiums and the development of training facilities in Dar es Salaam and Dodoma.
A new stadium in Dodoma is also underway, along with hostels at the Malya Institute of Sports Development and the establishment of a Sports Academy in Malya.
