SPEECH BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA, HIS EXCELLENCY JAKAYA MRISHO KIKWETE AT THE UNVEILING OF THE FIFA WORLD CUP TROPHY IN TANZANIA, AT MOVENPICK ROYAL PALM HOTEL, ON FRIDAY, 13TH JANUARY 2006

Honourable Minister for Information, Culture and Sports;

Distinguished Representatives of the International

Football Federation (FIFA);

Distinguished Representatives of the CocaCola Company;

Your Excellencies;

Invited Guests;

Sports Lovers;

Ladies and Gentlemen.

I feel greatly honoured to preside over this historic event of unveiling the prestigious FIFA WORLD CUP Trophy here in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. I understand that Tanzania is one of four African countries to host such an event in 2006.

Allow me, on behalf of the Government and football lovers, to express Tanzania’s deep gratitude to the International Football Federation (FIFA) for choosing our country to be one of the 28 countries in the world to host such a memorable event this year. Thank you so much FIFA.

A word of appreciation also goes to the CocaCola Company for sponsoring the trophy’s tour and the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany. This demonstrates CocaCola’s love for football and underlines the spirit of true partnership existing between FIFA and CocaCola as they strive to serve humanity in the football arena. May I use this opportunity to thank most sincerely the CocaCola Company.

I am told that the criteria for selecting the 28 countries worldwide were three: first, a country’s passion for football; second, the lack of obvious sports foothold in the country and finally, the selected country’s chance to see football’s most prized possession being a forlon hope.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am not sure where Tanzania was placed in those three categories; certainly, it was not for all the three. As a football enthusiast myself, I want to believe, as a matter of fact, that Tanzania’s passion for football is without doubt. For, football is, no doubt, the number one sport in Tanzania. Tanzanians love football and they await with eagerness and expectation when prestigious trophies will be won for the country at, both, the club and national levels.

But, trophies are not won through wishes. Wishes alone do not produce desired results. Efforts and determination have to be expected to attain the desired goals of excellence. The challenge before the Ministry incharge of Sports and all football bodies as well as football lovers, therefore, is to deliberately and with speed, embark upon, football development programme. Passion alone will not and cannot be enough. Training, training and training must be the driving force for us to succeed. Serious training must begin now. Good football administration and management is another important element which unfortunately remains seriously wanting, in Tanzania’s soccer.

Honourable Minister,

Your Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Breaking Barriers is the message of the FIFA World Cup trophy. No message could be more relevant to the Tanzanian football scene than this. That message should be a challenge and inspiration to the new leadership at the ministry, the Tanzania Football Federation to football clubs and all football lovers. We should all strive with renewed vigour and commitment to break the barriers of the past that have hindered football development in Tanzania. Endless squabbles and mal-administration of the sport must end. Endless squabbles are sickening. Endless squabbles produce sick minds, and sick minds produce poorly-performing players and, with such players our teams end up in early exists at tournaments, both regional and international. Consequently, no trophies come to the country. Let us therefore decide now to put our act together. Let the coming of the World Cup Trophy to Tanzania bring with it a spirit of renewal and rededication to do better. Let the Trophy leave behind a football loving nation with a resolve to make squabbles history, to administer and manage better the sport and invest time and resources in the development of the game and players.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is on open secret that most Tanzanian football lovers, frustrated as they are at the never-ending losses at international competitions turn to other countries for solace. Let us all work towards greater excellence so that trophies do not become a forlon hope. Trophies can be won and must be won for Tanzania by Tanzanians.

This FIFA World Cup trophy could not have come at a better time. It has come at a time when we in the new Administration are committed to work with football lovers in the country to turn the dark chapter in soccer fortunes in Tanzania. Fortunately, work on the construction of state of the art football stadium is in progress. We are not putting up an ultra modern sports complex, for the fun of it. We want it to be a motive power for success.

Football development and indeed sports development is at the top of our agenda. We would like to see Tanzania become a major football nation in Africa and, if possible, in the World. I know it can be done if all of us do what is right and work towards that goal. As mentioned earlier, the challenge is for us to develop and establish a modern, transparent and accountable football management system. The players are there. Players with talent are abounding in the country. They need to be developed. This is possible. Many countries in this Continent have done that, why not us. It can be done if we all played our part. If, for any reason we cannot do it alone let us look for assistance elsewhere. I have no doubt that some people or organisation somewhere would readily help. I am sure FIFA’s decision to bring the Trophy to Tanzania is an expression of readiness to assist us in the quest for excellence. We stand ready to come to you for help.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Breaking Barriers is a challenge to people’s development. It is heartening, indeed, that FIFA and CocaCola are breaking barriers through football to solve societal problems. Football tournaments bring peace and hope even where conflict and despair reign. They bring together talents of the youth across the political and ideological divide. These encounters help to improve relations and foster friendships between the football family, government departments and other stakeholders. We should endeavour to use sport to break barriers.

The trophy’s tour is timely and should give an impetus to all of us leaders, players and football fans to have workable action plans to make football not only the number one game but also the number one game that all of us can be proud of . Let us emulate by deed, the examples of nations in Africa that have made good progress as well as example of football giants of the world such as Brazil, Argentina and Germany. In doing so let us do what the late Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere taught us: “We must run while they walk”.

Finally, let me once again thank FIFA and CocaCola for choosing Tanzania as one of their stops in their common agenda of breaking barriers through football around the world. It will remain an inspiration to us and I hope it will help galvanise our efforts into opening a new chapter in football development in Tanzania. And, in doing so we are comforted by the fact that we will count on the continued support of FIFA in supporting the Tanzania Football Federation and soccer development in particular. I believe we can also count on CocaCola and indeed other companies and institutions in promoting the number one sport in Tanzania: football. Together we can indeed break barriers and make losses at tournaments a thing of the past.

Thank you for your kind attention.