Zanzibar's Fumba Stadium Nears Completion as East Africa Prepares to Host AFCON 2027
Construction on a new stadium in Fumba, Zanzibar, is roughly 80% complete, with Zanzibar authorities targeting handover by the end of December, according to TRT Afrika. The 36,500-capacity venue sits at the heart of Tanzania's preparations to co-host AFCON PAMOJA 2027 alongside Kenya and Uganda, the first time the region has staged the continent's biggest football tournament in 51 years.
The complex will include two outdoor pitches, each holding 5,000 spectators, along with a new access road and supporting infrastructure. Turkish firm Orkun Grup, which built and manages Zanzibar's Amaan Sports Complex and has worked on other CAF and FIFA-approved projects across Africa, is behind the build. The stadium was designed by AFL Architects of Manchester and developed by Globespan Infrastructure, TRT Afrika reports.
A Region's Biggest Test
Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda already have a dry run behind them. The three countries co-hosted the recent African Nations Championship, which tested logistics from stadium security to crowd management, areas TRT Afrika notes organisers will need to sharpen before AFCON arrives. Tanzania brings genuine football weight into that test: Simba SC and Young Africans, the country's two biggest clubs, carry a rivalry that regularly dominates the domestic conversation, and that intensity is expected to spill into the tournament itself.
Beyond the Pitch
Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi inspected the Fumba site and the nearby Fumba Port on Tuesday, according to TRT Afrika, and said surrounding infrastructure would be built to international standards. The government's case for the stadium runs past the final whistle: officials are framing it as a training and development base for young athletes long after AFCON 2027 ends.
PAMOJA is Swahili for "together," a name CAF has tied to the idea of three neighbouring countries uniting around a shared football culture. Whether Fumba delivers on that idea depends on what the stadium is used for once the tournament leaves town.
