Historic Day As Dar Hosts FIFA Executive Summit

Original Story Published by: Reporter for the Daily News

All is set for the World Football—governing body, FIFA Executive Football Summit (EFS), which the country hosts today at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JNICC) in Dar es Salaam.

FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, is due to jet in early this morning ready for the summit. Later on, he together with other top FIFA and CAF officials will be picked by the Minister for Information, Culture, Arts and Sports Harrison Mwakyembe for a courtesy call at the State House, where they will meet top government officials. The summit will be chaired by President Infantino and will bring together presidents and general secretaries of 21 FIFA member associations on the same table.

Also, key figures expected to take part in the crucial summit include FIFA Vice-President David Gill, FIFA General Secretary Fatma Diouf Samoura and CAF President Ahmad Ahmad.

Tanzania has been selected as a Member Association to host one of the 12 FIFA EFS meetings, which begun last November and will stretch up to March, this year, as part of President Infantino’s vision of ‘bringing FIFA back to football and football back to FIFA. Early last week, Minister Mwakyembe said it was important for the country to seize the opportunity of hosting a meeting of such magnitude, to ensure its ripples leave significant effect to the country’s football development.

“This summit was of a huge significance for the country because it brings into the country top brass from FIFA as well as those from the Confederation of African Football (CAF), which include its President Ahmad Ahmad,” said Minister Mwakyembe.

Minister Mwakyembe said the fact that FIFA selected Tanzania to host such a meeting, signifies that the World Football governing body has faith with policies and strategies the country was taking in developing football.

“They have shown faith on us and the kind of transformation FIFA was undergoing under the leadership of President Infantino was a replica of what the fifth phase government under President John Magufuli was doing here.

We are all cleaning our houses,” Mwakyembe said. Delegates to the summit started arriving in the country yesterday and Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) Media and Communications Officer, Clifford Ndimbo, said all neces- s a r y preparations t o host the s u mmi t were complete. “All initial preparations for the historic summit which will attract at least 64 delegates are complete …we are looking forward for a successful summit,” Ndimbo said.