FUMBA, ZANZIBAR – While Uganda and Kenya are busy breaking ground on the Hoima City and Talanta stadiums, the neighbors in Tanzania have reached a significant milestone in the “East Africa Pamoja” AFCON 2027 preparations.
The Zanzibar Sports City project in Fumba is officially moving into its next phase, with construction of the flagship 36,500-seater international football stadium now estimated at 10% completion.
The project is more than just a football pitch; it is a massive urban development designed to turn Zanzibar into a global sports tourism hub. President Hussein Ali Mwinyi recently toured the site, emphasizing that the project is on a “fast-track” schedule to meet CAF’s stringent deadlines.
Key Features of the Fumba Project:
Capacity: 36,500 seats (International Football Stadium).
Innovation: Includes “StadiArena” technology, allowing sections of the stadium to be converted into enclosed indoor arenas for conferences and concerts.
Support Infrastructure: Two 15,000-seat training grounds, a 40-bed sports hospital, and a 200-key luxury hotel are all part of Phase 1.
Completion Target: December 2026 – giving the region a full six months of “test events” before the AFCON kickoff in June 2027.
The Pamoja Progress Report
Tanzania is currently leading the infrastructure race among the three host nations. While the Fumba project sits at 10%, the Samia Suluhu Hassan Stadium in Arusha is reportedly nearing 70% completion, and the iconic Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam has already undergone its major CAF-mandated renovations.
A successful, world-class facility in Zanzibar ensures that the “Pamoja” bid is viewed as a world-class continental event. With Fumba being located in a “Blue Economy” zone, it will likely host some of the most scenic matches of the tournament, attracting global media attention to the entire East African bloc.
“The government is providing an enabling environment to ensure the Orkun Group [contractors] delivers this to international standards,” a spokesperson for the Zanzibar Ministry of Sports noted recently during the site visit. “This is a landmark for the archipelago and for East Africa”.
Wow, that’s fantastic news about Fumba Stadium! It’s really exciting to see such a big project taking shape for AFCON 2027.