Stars eye Morocco scalp

DAR ES SALAAM: TAIFA Stars will be looking to maintain their dream start to the 2026 FIFA World Cup Africa qualifiers when they host North African giants Morocco at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam today.

After a 1-0 win away to Niger over the weekend, the Tanzanian outfit welcome Morocco in a sterner test, knowing that a win will secure them six points, a rare feat in the country’s football history.

Speaking ahead of the much-awaited game, Taifa Stars Assistant Coach Fouad Bouali emphasised that despite the limited time to prepare after the Niger match, his team is fully focused on today’s game.

“We believe in the players we have and the game plan we have developed for this match. With the quality and talent of our players, there is no doubt that they will execute it well,” Bouali said at a pre-match media briefing in Dar es Salaam on Monday.

“In the national team, we don’t have the opportunity to spend a lot of time with the players like clubs do, but we have done our best to create a strong and competitive team to represent our country,” he added.

When asked about the team’s failure to convert scoring opportunities, Bouali replied that they are working on improving their scoring efficiency.

“It’s great that we are able to create many scoring chances, as we did against Niger. It’s just a matter of time before we start converting them into goals, and we can already see progress.  Defensively, the team is doing well, so our focus now is on overcoming the scoring challenges, and the future looks promising,” he stated.

For his side, Taifa Stars goalkeeper Aishi Manula expressed confidence in the team’s abilities, stating; “Big players like big matches, like the one against Morocco, and we are big players. I believe that we will achieve positive results.”

The shot-stopper encouraged Tanzanians to come out in large numbers to support the team at the stadium.

Morocco trainer Walid Regragui revealed that they have prepared for today’s match just like they do for any other game and are eager to achieve success.

He said: “It will be a difficult match, but we are hopeful of getting good results. We do not underestimate Taifa Stars; they are a motivated team, and tomorrow’s game is important for them as they will be playing in front of their fans.”

“The results they achieved against Niger have given them confidence. For us, this competition is like a league or a race, and in the end, we aim to finish on top and qualify for the World Cup finals,” he added.

Morocco’s captain, Achraf Hakimi, praised the entire Tanzanian team and described captain Mbwana Samatta as a good striker whom he knows well.

He said; “We are prepared to compete against the entire team, and we should approach the game with caution to secure three points.”