Where have the fans gone? Tanzania must rebuild national-team match-day culture

DAR ES SALAAM: THERE was something almost more disappointing than Tanzania’s elimination from the Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers: the number of empty seats at Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday.

Tanzania’s national teams have millions of potential supporters across the country, and football remains deeply rooted in our society.

Yet, for some time now, the atmosphere surrounding national-team matches has failed to reflect that passion.

The latest example came when Tanzania faced Kenya in the second leg of the Under-23 AFCON qualifier at Uhuru Stadium.

The hosts produced a spirited performance, winning 3-1, but it was not enough to overturn Kenya’s 4-1 first-leg advantage. Kenya advanced 5-4 on aggregate. What was striking, however, was that such an important match was played before a relatively small crowd.

That should prompt football authorities to ask a fundamental question: what needs to be done to make watching the national team an event that people genuinely want to attend? The answer cannot simply be that Tanzanians have lost interest in football.

They have not. The enthusiasm surrounding domestic club football, major international matches and football discussions on social media demonstrates that the appetite remains.

The challenge is converting that interest into people walking through the stadium gates when the national teams play. One of the problems may be that national-team matches are treated as fixtures rather than events. A national-team match should begin long before kickoff.

There should be a deliberate promotional campaign weeks in advance, involving players, coaches, former stars, musicians, influencers and other football personalities. The message should be clear: this is not simply another football match.

It is an occasion to support the nation’s team. Football authorities should also make better use of social media to tell stories about the players, their preparations and what representing Tanzania means to them. Supporters need a reason to become emotionally invested.

If the only communication is a poster announcing the date, venue and ticket price, authorities should not be surprised when excitement remains limited. Fans are increasingly looking for more than 90 minutes of football.

Music, entertainment, fan zones, food outlets, merchandise, competitions and activities for children can turn a fixture into a family experience. National-team matches should create a sense of occasion from the moment supporters arrive at the stadium.

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The stadium experience itself must also be welcoming. Clean facilities, efficient entry systems, adequate security, accessible transport and clear ticketing arrangements all influence whether supporters decide to attend.

A supporter who struggles to buy a ticket, spends too long at the gates or has a poor experience inside the stadium may think twice before returning. Ticket pricing also deserves serious attention. If the objective is to fill stadiums, the pricing strategy should reflect that objective.

Affordable sections could be introduced for students, young people and families, while schools and football academies could receive organised ticket allocations. A full stadium is itself a commercial asset.

Television audiences are more likely to be attracted by a match surrounded by colour, noise and excitement, while sponsors benefit from being associated with an energetic nationalteam environment.

Perhaps the most important investment is in young supporters. Schools should be incorporated into nationalteam mobilisation.

Imagine thousands of schoolchildren attending selected nationalteam matches, wearing Tanzania colours, carrying flags and participating in organised activities.

Such an initiative would do more than fill seats. It would help build a generation for whom attending nationalteam matches becomes part of their sporting culture. Traditional media also has an important role.

Radio, television, newspapers and digital platforms must be engaged to build anticipation through interviews, tactical discussions, player profiles, historical memories and supporter debates.

The campaign should not start on match day. It should build gradually. Former national-team players could discuss memorable encounters with Tanzania’s opponents.

Supporters could share their favourite national-team moments, while current players could explain what playing before a home crowd means to them.

All of this creates conversation and conversation creates anticipation. The Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) and other stakeholders should consider developing a comprehensive national-team supporter strategy rather than relying on individual match promotions.

Such a strategy could cover marketing, ticketing, supporter engagement, stadium experience, merchandising, sponsorship, media partnerships and grassroots mobilisation. It would be easy to accuse supporters of abandoning the national team. That would miss the point.

Fans have choices about how they spend their time and money. Football authorities must compete for their attention by offering an attractive and memorable experience.

The Under-23 team’s 3-1 victory over Kenya demonstrated that the players are capable of providing excitement. Unfortunately, too few supporters were there to experience it.

Tanzania now has an opportunity to rethink how it presents its national teams. The objective should not merely be to sell tickets for the next match.

It should be to rebuild a culture in which national-team football becomes a major social occasion, something families plan for, young people anticipate and supporters proudly attend. A national team should never feel as though it is playing in an empty stadium.

The players wear the national colours. The supporters should feel that they are part of the same team. If Tanzania can turn national-team matches into genuine events, fans may not need to be begged to come. They will want to be there.

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