Stars envision AFCON sparkle

DAR ES SALAAM: WITH less than a year until the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, Taifa Stars Coach Hemed Suleiman has expressed confidence, aiming not just to participate, but to shine in this year’s finals.

The coach made the comments after Tanzania learned their group for the upcoming AFCON in Group C, where they will face Nigeria, Tunisia, and Uganda, with only two teams advancing to the quarter-finals. Tanzania has yet to make it past the group stage in their last three appearances in 1980, 2019 and 2023.

The tournament is scheduled to take place from December 21 this year to January 18 next year in Morocco. Despite the challenging nature of the competition, Coach Suleiman remains optimistic and is committed to preparing the team for a strong performance.

During a draw held in Morocco on January 27, Coach Suleiman, accompanied by his assistant Jamhuri Kihwelo and officials from the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF), including President Wallace Karia and Vice-President Athuman Nyamlani, underscored that no group is easy.

“There’s no such thing as an easy group and I don’t see our group as any different. Tanzania is no longer a weak side. When I introduced myself as being from Tanzania, I received a lot of respect from various coaches here. Even after the draw, I could see our opponents deep in thought,” Suleiman stated.

He added: “Tanzania has moved past the era of inferiority. We must have confidence as a nation and believe that we can achieve great things.”

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The coach further elaborated on their approach moving forward, emphasising the need for detailed planning and preparation.

“Looking at our group, we face teams from West Africa, North Africa and our East African neighbours, Uganda. The key now is to start organising ourselves. As coaches, we will take responsibility for analysing our opponents in depth,” he said.

Coach Suleiman also mentioned that there would be extensive planning meetings, involving both TFF officials and the government to ensure thorough preparation ahead of the tournament.

“The most important thing is to ensure we make proper preparations before heading into the competition,” he stated.

This will be Tanzania’s fourth appearance at AFCON, following previous participations in 1980 (Nigeria), 2019 (Egypt) and 2023 (Ivory Coast).

In the 2019 edition, Tanzania left without earning any points, while in 1980, they secured one point and in 2023, they earned two points.

However, the team has yet to advance past the group stage in any of these tournaments.