ZFF lauds Mwinyi as CAF proves doubters wrong on match venue

Dar es Salaam. The Zanzibar Football Federation (ZFF) has expressed great pride in hosting the historic CAF Confederation Cup final between Tanzania’s Simba SC and Morocco’s RS Berkane.

The highly anticipated match will take place this Sunday at the newly renovated New Amaan Complex in Zanzibar. 

Kick-off is scheduled for 4pm local time, and the match will be officiated by Mauritanian referee Dahane Beida.

He will be assisted by Jerson Emiliano Dos Santos from Angola and Adou Hermann N’goh of Ivory Coast. The fourth official will be Abdel Aziz Bouh, also from Mauritania. 

Simba need at least a 2–0 win to level the score and push the match to penalties, or a 3–0 win to secure the trophy outright.

Speaking to The Citizen yesterday, ZFF President Suleiman Mahmoud Jabir described the hosting of the final as a great honour, not only for Zanzibar but for Tanzania as a whole.

He noted that the entire continent, along with football lovers across the globe, will be following the match through various social media platforms and television broadcasts.

Jabir explained that the decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to hold the final in Zanzibar is a clear reflection of the significant investments made by Zanzibar President Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi in the sports sector.

He commended the president for his firm support and vision in uplifting the standard of sports infrastructure in the archipelago. 

“We sincerely commend President Mwinyi for his tremendous investment in sports. We have witnessed the changes and continue to witness them,” said Jabir.

“The New Amaan Complex now meets international standards and is capable of hosting any major international fixture.”

Jabir posed a rhetorical question to highlight the importance of the facility: “What would have happened if the New Amaan Complex had not been renovated to meet international standards, and Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam faced the same issues that led CAF to make the current decision? The answer is simple—Simba would have had to host the final in another country.”

He went on to say, “Thanks to the vision of President Mwinyi, this historic match will be played here in Zanzibar. We are truly grateful.”

Jabir also addressed criticism from those who had doubted the New Amaan Complex’s ability to host such a prestigious match.

He pointed out that the renovation of the stadium was carried out under strict CAF guidelines, and that the final approval from CAF itself proves the facility meets all necessary standards.

“CAF has proven all the doubters wrong. Those who claimed that the New Amaan Complex was not suitable for the final were entirely mistaken,” he said.

He explained that ZFF, along with the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, made the difficult decision to move both the Mapinduzi Cup and the Muungano Cup to Pemba’s Gombani Stadium to allow the renovations to proceed without interruption. 

“It was not an easy decision in football terms, but we followed professional consultations, made the call, and today we are all celebrating the outcome,” said Jabir.