Stars undeterred by loss

DAR ES SALAAM: TAIFA Stars remain hopeful about Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Group C campaign despite a 1-0 defeat to Nigeria in their Group C opener at Fez Stadium.

After the match, players, including Novatus Dismas, Charles M’mombwa, Dickson Job and Zuberi Foba spoke about the game, praising their performance despite the loss, emphasising their determination to qualify for the knockout stage.

Dismas pointed out that defensive lapses and miscommunication during a set piece allowed Nigeria to score.

“We faced a strong team and gave our all, but we lost. The challenge came from a lack of communication during a set piece. We were not well organised, leaving a Nigerian player free and their height advantage punished us,” Dismas said.

ALSO READ: Dr Mwinyi cherishes sports as he blesses the Zanzibar Afed Festival

He added that the team still has a chance to qualify and remains confident ahead of upcoming games against Uganda and Tunisia.

“Despite the result, we continue with our journey. It’s a long road and the matches are tough. We are still following instructions and have not given up.” M’mombwa, who scored his first goal for the national team in the tournament, expressed mixed emotions.

“It was a huge joy to score my first goal for the country, but I’m disappointed we did not win. We have improved in many aspects and showed that we came to compete, not just to participate.” Defender Job highlighted that the progress the team has made is the result of months of hard work and preparation.

He added that the defeat serves as a lesson, and the team is now fully focused on preparing for the next match. Goalkeeper Foba, making his AFCON debut, said he was proud to represent Tanzania and remained positive despite the setback.

“I am proud to represent my country. We did everything we could, and despite the setback we believe we can still qualify for the knockout stage. I focused on keeping the team safe because against a big team, one mistake can be costly,” he said.

Tanzania now faces two crucial group stage matches; against Uganda tomorrow and Tunisia on Tuesday. With morale still high, Taifa Stars are determined to bounce back and keep their hopes of advancing alive.