Shime bemoans trio miss
MOROCCO: TWIGA Stars Head Coach, Bakari Shime, believes the absence of three key players and a lack of tournament experience proved costly in their narrow 1-0 defeat to Mali in their opening Group C match at the Municipal de Berkane Stadium in Morocco.
Twiga were without the services of star forward Clara Luvanga, team Captain Opah Clement and Aisha Masaka – a trio whose absence left a noticeable gap in Shime’s tactical setup.
“It’s true we missed very key players. Unfortunately, two of them couldn’t make it to the tournament,” said a visibly frustrated Shime.
While Aisha was sidelined early due to injury and was not part of the final squad, Clara suffered a knock in training just before the tournament. As for Opah, her suspension – stemming from cards received nearly two years ago – continues to haunt the team.
“Aisha picked up injury in camp, so she was already ruled out. But Clara’s injury just two days ago and Opah’s ongoing suspension from two years back – these really affected us,” he added.
“It’s something CAF needs to look into. Carrying over cards for two years into a new competition isn’t fair and it certainly kills a player’s morale.”
Despite the odds, Shime praised the youthful spirit in his squad, which includes players as young as 15, 16 and 17. Their inexperience was apparent in the first half, but they regrouped after the break and gave Mali a stiffer challenge.
“We struggled in the first half, yes. But second half we showed bravery, possession and maturity beyond their years,” said Shime.
The game’s only goal came just before the break. A poorly dealt with free-kick by the Tanzanian defence saw the ball fall kindly to Malian midfielder Saratou Traore, who calmly slotted it low into the net from the edge of the box.
That moment proved decisive, though Twiga Stars were not without their flashes of brilliance.
Just 15 minutes in, Enekia Lunyamila timed her run to beat the offside trap and latched onto a cross-field pass, unleashing a ferocious shot that forced Malian goalkeeper Fatoumata Karentao into a stunning one-handed save – a highlight moment for both teams.
Soon after, Mali regained control of the midfield, but Twiga Stars goalkeeper, Najiat Idrisa proved her mettle, especially when she denied Fatoumata Diarra’s thunderous strike with a firm punch in the 20th minute.
Ahead of the match, Coach Shime had called for calm, reminding fans that although Group C features higher-ranked opponents – Ghana (68th), Senegal (17th), Mali (44th) and South Africa’s Banyana Banyana (59th) – Twiga Stars had already defied expectations by qualifying past stronger-ranked teams.
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Tanzania, currently ranked 119th globally, now face the defending champions, Banyana Banyana, who top the group with three points and a +2 goal difference. Mali sit second with three points and a single goal.
