Government rallies fans behind Stars

DAR ES SALAAM: THE government has appealed to football supporters to fill the 60,000-seater Benjamin Mkapa Stadium to the brim this Friday for a crucial CHAN 2024 quarter-final match between the Taifa Stars and Morocco.

Speaking in Dar es Salaam yesterday, Government Spokesperson and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Gerson Msigwa, said that a vocal, sizeable crowd can inspire the Taifa Stars to perform at their best and secure a place in the semi-finals.

He highlighted the importance of demonstrating robust home-support, noting that recent group-stage fixtures suffered from disappointing attendance figures.

“I appeal to Tanzanians to come to the stadium in large numbers. In the last two or three matches w e h a v e not recorded strong turnouts, and this has consequences. The Confederation of African Football measures a host nation’s readiness partly by crowd presence and that criterion is extremely important,” Mr Msigwa explained.

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Mr Msigwa also dismissed any apprehension among fans regarding Morocco’s reputation.

“We have the ability to lift the CHAN trophy and in doing so we will make history and lay a solid foundation for the AFCON tournament,” he said.

Adding his voice, Media and Communications Manager for Yanga SC, Ali Kamwe urged supporters not to be intimidated by Morocco. He stressed that the current squad possesses the resilience and quality to match their quarter-final opponents. Taifa Stars topped their group unbeaten, recording wins against Burkina Faso (2–0), Mauritania (1–0), and Madagascar (2–1), alongside a goalless draw with the Central African Republic. Morocco advanced as runners-up in Group A.

With home advantage now seen as decisive, the government hopes to see a sea of yellow and green at Mkapa Stadium to rally the Stars toward a historic last-four finish.