Tourism and Hospitality Industry minister Walter Mzembi has said co-hosting the 2017 Afcon gives Zimbabwe a better chance to stage the biennial football tournament than trying to go it alone.
BY MICHAEL MADYIRA
Zifa are pushing to get hosting rights after initial hosts and strife-stricken Libya last month withdrew due to the political upheavals.
The local football governing body has been guaranteed support in their hosting bid by the tourism ministry as well as the Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture and final approval now lies in the hands of Cabinet.
Mzembi’s ministry has been the most vocal in Zimbabwe’s case, stressing that Afcon comes with immense tourism opportunities. Bid submissions close on September 30, after which the Confederations of African Football (CAF) will name the hosts next April.
With only three years left before the tournament is played, Mzembi said joint-hosting would increase Zimbabwe’s chances of being granted the rights.
“We are very serious about this issue. We should not do nightmares, but do dreams,” said Mzembi.
“We are going for a shared-hosting programme. Right now we will have to engage our neighbouring countries on that to boost our chances. This is a national project where there has to be staunch input from everyone. That is why we are taking this issue to Cabinet.
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“Look, South Africa is a new country after the 2010 Fifa World Cup. We really need this to put our country into spotlight. Hosting Afcon would leave legacy assets like spruced-up stadiums, roads, hotels and training facilities.”
However, no neighbouring country has so far expressed interest to host the tournament.
Zambia now boasts of two world class stadiums but could be having a lot on their plate as they are set to host the 2017 African Under-20 Championships.
It would be a mammoth task for Zimbabwe to convince CAF it could take the onus alone given that the country has sub-standard football infrastructure.
Harare and Bulawayo would likely be the host cities in case of a joint venture, but hotel accommodation could be overwhelmed by teams, multitudes of travelling fans and service providers. Massive refurbishment of roads, efficient transport system and decongesting Harare would be some of the work that would need to be done inside the next three years.
Zimbabwe were handed rights to host the 200th edition of Afcon but unpreparedness saw CAF moving it to Ghana and Nigeria at the last minute.
The country also lost the 2010 bid.
“You do not have to be ready to host something,” said Mzembi. “We were never ready to host UNWTO (2013 United Nations World Tourism Organisation) general assembly but when we were told that it was coming to Zimbabwe, everyone got up on their feet and it was a success at the end of the day.
“There is so much need for national commitment, willingness and effort. We have to respond to our own vision as Zimbabwe.”
The strongest candidacy has so far emerged from East Africa where Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda have declared interest.
Kenya is pushing for a Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda joint-hosting and the countries have already contacted each other on the opportunity.
Rwanda wants to stage it together with Kenya and Tanzania. Rwanda has an edge over Zimbabwe with a track record of hosting the 2009 African Youth Championships as well as the 2011 African Under-17 Championship.
The 2016 Africa Nations Championships will also take place in Rwanda. Only Ethiopia from East Africa has staged Afcon before and they have done that thrice. Mali, Ghana and Egypt have also declared contention to welcome the continent in 2017.
Zifa chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze was unavailable to state their strategies to convince CAF on the issue.
Hosting Afcon would afford Zimbabwe automatic qualification for the tournament.
The Warriors have graced the tournament twice (2004, 2006) in their history.
