Famous American football game set in Tanzania’s tourist city

TANZANIA, Africa (eTN) – For the first time on African soil, the famous American football game will be staged in northern Tanzania’s tourist city of Arusha this Saturday.

Preparations for the first-ever football event, which is likely to draw big crowds of spectators around the globe, were finalized early this week with several players from United States and Mexico jetting down to Tanzania.

Branded as Global Kilimanjaro Bowl, the event will host Drake University from Iowa and the CONADEIP All Stars from Mexico in the first-ever American football game on Arusha and African soil.

“The stage is set; the organizing committees that were formed are tying their final knots; we are all anxiously waiting to give the world a taste of Tanzania,” Tanzania Tourist Board Public Relations Officer, Geofrey Tengeneza told eTN.

The game had brought to Tanzania 260 entourage comprising of the team, coaches, and media.

The football’s president, Patrick Steenberge, said he and the organizing committee had printed 2,000 magazines for the occasion, 200 posters, and 300 bags for promotional materials, all showing Tanzania’s tourist attractions under the banner of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa.

Sports training clinics will take place at the Tanzania Game Tracker facility in Arusha and on May 21, while the game will take place at the Sheikh Amri Abeid stadium on the afternoon of the same day.

During the game, there will be direct broadcast live via the Discovery TV Network and commentary on BBC radio and Channel 4 by Mike Carison then followed by Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

“We are all thrilled that the teams have decided to play here and are calling on everyone in the country to come and join us experience America’s most expensive game being played on our turf,” Patrick said.

After the game, the players will venture to Tarangire National Park in northern Tanzania and this will be conducted in three groups between May 22 and May 24 and the next day proceed to Moshi to visit various orphanages centers.

Players will start scaling Mount Kilimanjaro to reach the roof of Africa on May 28 and descend on May 30, where they will travel back to Arusha ready to fly out the following day.

“That is something special that should be captured by TV and newspapers for all to see. The sport is new to Tanzanians, so the players and coaches will work on the basics of the game,” Patrick said.