Tanzania to host Caf annual meeting

By Majuto Omary

Tanzania is to host an Ordinary General Assembly of the African Football governing body (Caf) scheduled to take place in Arusha Region on December 11.

The General Assembly is Caf's supreme authority, and its meeting will define the Federation's general policy and how to best implement it decisions.

It will involve representatives of the affiliated national associations, members of he Caf Executive Committee, Honorary Presidents and Vice-Presidents, as well as members and delegates from its zonal unions.

Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) President Wallace Karia said Caf's inspectors will visit the country to inspect the venues and hotels that would be used by the delegates in the country.

Karia said Caf's executive committee appointed Ethiopia to host the meeting, but due to some reasons, they also announced Tanzania to be a backup option.

"Due to the Covid-19 crisis and safety restrictions, Tanzania has been selected a backup option. We have decided to host it in Arusha whereby members would get the chance to visit our tourist attractions before or after the meeting," said Karia.

He explained that "Arusha Region has good hotels and other facilities which, we are sure, makes it fit to host such an important continental meeting." This meeting in December will be the second time for Tanzania to host a major forum on soccer within two years in recent times.

In 2018, Tanzania hosted the Executive Summit of the world soccer governing body Fifa, which was attended by its president, Gianni Infantino, and other top officials of national football associations from around the world.

The Tanzania National Parks (Tanapa) public relations manager, Pascal Shelutete, said they will use the meeting to promote Tanzania's tourist attractions.

Shelutete said the Assembly is important, as it features top football leaders.

"This is part of sports tourism, and we will use the opportunity to promote our national parks and other tourist attraction," said Shelutete.

This article was originally published by The Citizen. [Photo: The Citizen]