ARUSHA, Tanzania, April 7 (Xinhua) -- China Railway Construction Engineering Group (CRCEG) on Saturday started construction of a modern soccer stadium in Tanzania's northern city of Arusha for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals with a bang.

       The ground-breaking ceremony was held on land of 14.57 hectares, where Tanzanian senior government officials joined CRCEG engineers and technicians as they started to build the stadium that could accommodate 30,000 spectators.

       Damas Ndumbaro, the minister for Culture, Arts, and Sports, said the construction of the modern stadium marked an important milestone as Tanzania was preparing to co-host the AFCON finals with Kenya and Uganda. Ndumbaro said the Arusha stadium was billed to be the most important and modern stadium built by Chinese companies in Tanzania in 20 years after the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in the port city of Dar es Salaam with a capacity of 60,000 spectators.

       "This is an important infrastructure for Tanzania as the country is preparing to host the 2027 AFCON finals for the first time in the history of African football and it will reshape Tanzania's image in Africa," said Ndumbaro.

       Gao Hongchun, the project manager, said the contractor will commit to building one of the best stadiums in Africa, providing local employment opportunities, promoting urban construction, and driving regional economic development.

       Gao said the Arusha stadium project was another landmark building by CRCEG after more than 20 years of hard work in the Arusha market, following more than 10 projects including the headquarters of the Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission, the National Social Security Fund commercial building, and Arusha Melia Hotel.

       On March 19, CRCEG signed an agreement with the Tanzanian Ministry of Culture, Arts and Sports to construct the Arusha Stadium.

       StarPicks

       Roadmap for a climate-resilient Malaysia