AfricaPress-Tanzania: CCM Kirumba Stadium in Mwanza is ready to be written in history books for becoming one of the few sport venues in the country selected to be used to bid farewell to the late former president John Magufuli.
Today, residents of Mwanza and nearby areas are expected to pay their last respects to Magufuli who passed away in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday last week hence an opportunity for them to say goodbye to the fallen statesman.
However, it will be the first time for CCM Kirumba venue to host a state controlled farewell bidding funeral ceremony as such, many people are set to flock at the stadium in big numbers.
Likewise, Jamhuri Stadium in Dodoma is also another sport hosting facility which has entered in record books for hosting Magufuli’s national farewell occasion which saw many heads of state and senior figures from different parts of the country attending the event.
For Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam, the case was not new at all bearing in mind that the venue had previously been used to bid farewell to the country’s founding father Julius Nyerere, third phase president Benjamin Mkapa and recently the departed fifth-phase hero Magufuli.
All these packed together simply show that there is a strong need to take good care of the existing stadiums in different corners of the country because sometimes, they are used to entertain high profile non-sport ceremonies.
Meanwhile, former Pamba SC defender Venance Kazungu has revealed that the late Magufuli was a good goalkeeper while schooling at Lake Secondary School located in Nyamagana District, Mwanza.
Briefing the Daily News yesterday, Kazungu narrated that Magufuli was a dependable shot-stopper at the school. “I coached him when I was the head coach of Lake Secondary School football team.
“He was a good goalkeeper and used to compete his number one position with Omary Madenge. Other famous squad members in those days include Benjamin Magadula and Paul James’’ he said.
Kazungu further added that Magufuli who by then was living at Kitangiri was the first to come for training sessions as he loved football a lot hence sports fraternity in the country have lost a good leader who encouraged patriotism in sports.
He further pointed out that Magufuli was a Pamba SC supporter and would not fail to attend matches played by the club at CCM Kirumba Stadium and that his favourite players were Edward Hiza ‘Kisha Toto’, Khaleed Bitebo, Raphael Paul, Joram Mwakatika and the late Ibrahim Magongo.
On his side Pamba SC chairman Aleem Alibhai said the late Magufuli was on several occasions encouraging the club to work hard to be promoted into the Mainland Premier League.
