Young Africans,popularly corrupted as Yanga
is arguably the most supported and followed club in Sub-saharan Africa when it comes to match
attendances. This season alone Young Africans have averaged an attendance of
around 14,000 fans .Forget about the super-rich South African giants of Kaizer
Chiefs,Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi or the fanatically followed Gor Mahia,when
it comes to match attendances Yanga is way ahead. At times Yanga matches
attract more fans to the stadium than the national team as witnessed this
season. For example, while the national team attracted 32,000 fans for the
Morocco game in Dar, Yanga attracted more than 39,000 fans against Azam Fc played at the same venue.Yanga hosted Simba in the first Dar Derby of the season managing to
draw in 55,000 fans.
Though Yanga and Simba have polarized Tanzania into two sets historically Yanga has had more fans
than Simba despite both being equally successfully
in the domestic football scene. After over 40 years of begging and surviving on
hand outs and dubious promoters and sponsors Yanga want to tap into their huge
fan base to construct a 40,000-seat stadium . It is a major step forward that was long due.
As it is often, the devil is in the details, the idea is a noble one but the financial details are too unconvincing. Many of us have questioned the wisdom of constructing a
stadium of that capacity considering the costs involved. It will be a miracle to attract a sponsor or get a loan to finance the project. Where will they get the collateral needed to secure a loan?
Will tycoon Yusuph Manji dig deep into his pocket to finance the project?
They have insisted that they will obtain the needed
funds from the huge fan base,but will it be enough? Let it be remembered even
in the construction of the new national stadium,the Tanzanian government
depended on Chinese ‘aid’. Apparently the Chinese government
funded the construction of the national stadium to the tune of over $33 million
out of the over $56.4 million spent .
To construct a 40,000-seat stadium would probably cost
more than $50 million bearing inflation cost and taking a look at a few similar
projects in Africa. The 44,000-seat Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Zambia cost around
$60 million. Even the 19,000-seat TP Mazembe stadium has been reported to
cost over $35 million. The TP Mazembe
stadium was funded by Moise Chapwe Katumbi who harbors political ambitions as
well as having a deeper love for football since childhood than it can be said
of Yusuph Manji. Katumbi
played football up to his 20s before
injury ended his football career coupled
with his political ambitions it is easy to see why he is pumping money into
grand projects for TP Mazembe. The club is a fulfillment of his childhood
dreams as well as a huge political investment.
Yusuph Manji is no fool who will soon part with his money
for such an ambitious project. What has he seen that we have failed to see that has convinced him to fund the project? You do not become a billionaire by
making empty statements so we just have to leave it to to him
for he is the deal-maker and he seems to know more than we know though many are still skeptical that the
project will be funded by the members and the fans to a greater proportion. A
two year project that cost more than $50 million can hardly be funded by fans who
pay less than $4 per match and members who collectively contribute less than $1000 per
month.
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