AFCON qualifiers crucial test for Stars

DAR ES SALAAM: THE ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers should be treated as a valuable warm-up test for Taifa Stars ahead of next year’s finals.

Tanzania, alongside Kenya and Uganda, has already qualified automatically as one of the host nations. That, however, does not make these matches less important.

They give us a chance to test the team, identify weaknesses and understand how much improvement is needed before the finals begin.

Taifa Stars opened the qualifying campaign with a disappointing 2-0 home defeat to Guinea-Bissau before drawing away against Madagascar.

The results have not been ideal, but the two matches have provided important lessons. The biggest concern is finishing.

Taifa Stars can create chances, but creating opportunities is only half the job. We must find the cutting edge to turn those chances into goals.

In a major tournament, opportunities can be few and far between and failing to take them can decide a match.

ALSO READ: AIC Festival to showcase Tanzanian culture during AFCON 2027

Finishing must therefore be one of the priorities in training and preparation. Defence and goalkeeping also require attention.

Conceding three goals in two matches is more than we should accept from a team preparing to compete on a major continental stage.

The players must become more organised, disciplined and composed at the back. A stronger defence will also give the attackers greater confidence to play their game. These qualifiers should not simply be judged by results.

They should be used to learn. The technical team must identify what is working, address what is not and give the players the competitive experience they need before the finals. Most importantly, Taifa Stars will have home advantage when the AFCON finals arrive.

We must make that advantage count. Winning on home soil can build confidence, create momentum and give the team the belief needed to go further in the tournament.

The fans, too, have a role. Let us turn up in big numbers, rally behind Taifa Stars and make our home venues truly feel like home.

That is the support our players need. This is more than football. It is about the flag, the country and a shared mission. Let us learn, improve, unite and fight for Taifa Stars. The country is on a mission.