Zanzibar president says contractors have pledged to finish AFCON projects by December

Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi said on 3 October that contractors had committed to completing AFCON infrastructure projects by December 2026, Xinhua reported. Speaking to journalists at State House in Zanzibar, he said preparations go beyond Fumba Stadium to roads, transport services and other infrastructure for visitors and residents.

"Travelling around Zanzibar now, you can see major infrastructure changes, particularly in roads. This is part of our preparations for AFCON, and we are satisfied with the pace of implementation," Xinhua quoted him as saying. He said the December deadline leaves time to test facilities before the tournament begins in June 2027. "We will have enough time to ensure everything is ready before the tournament starts," he said.

Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda are co-hosting the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which runs from 19 June to 17 July 2027.

The Citizen of Tanzania reported on 7 September that Fumba Stadium was about 81 per cent complete. It gave the capacity as about 36,500 and named Turkey's Orkun Group as the builder. The paper said the Zanzibar government is investing about US$150 million (TSh 389.2 billion) in the first phase of the Zanzibar AFCON Sports Complex, which includes two outdoor pitches of 5,000 spectators each.

Zanzibar's Minister for Information, Arts, Culture and Sports, Dr Riziki Pembe Juma, was quoted by The Citizen as saying: "Construction of Fumba Stadium is currently at a very good stage, and we believe that by December, the stadium will have been fully completed".

In a report published on 15 April, the Tanzanian Daily News said Mwinyi had directed contractors and government officials to speed up work on the stadium during an inspection of the site in Urban West Region. The paper said the 35,000-seat stadium was then 50 per cent complete. It quoted him as saying: "I want to see this project complete in time."

The Daily News said Tanzania's venues include Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Samia Suluhu Stadium in Arusha, and New Amaan Complex and Fumba City Stadium in Zanzibar. It said the wider Fumba development plan includes roads, a hospital, restaurants and shopping centres.