Stars set for Guinea set off

IVORY COAST: TAIFA Stars are determined to bounce back from their opening draw against Ethiopia as they face Guinea in their second group H 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier today.

A win against Guinea at Charles Konan Banny Stadium in Ivory Coast, is crucial for the Tanzanians’ hopes of qualifying for the continental tournament.

Taifa Stars drew 0-0 with Ethiopia in their opening match at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam last week and are eager to climb the Group H standings.

Guinea, meanwhile, suffered a 1-0 defeat to DR Congo and are also seeking their first points. As it stands, DR Congo are leading the table with three points followed by Tanzania and Ethiopia with one point apiece while Guinea are point-less at the bottom of the log.

The government has provided strong support to the Taifa Stars team, ensuring they have everything they need to succeed.

The Deputy Minister for Culture, Arts and Sports Hamis Mwinjuma, who is in Ivory Coast with the team, expressed his optimism: “I am here to ensure that the team has everything at their disposal to fuel their positive result.

“President Samia Suluhu Hassan has invested a lot in sports, and she always supports our teams to do well in major competitions.”

On his part, the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) first Vice-President Athuman Nyamlani narrated that everything is well ahead of today’s match.

“Of course, it is going to be a tough game regarding the fact that our opponents lost their previous game.

“But the good thing is that our players are aware of what to do in order to get the better of them and the most important thing is to pray for them,” he said.

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He added that launching the campaign with a draw is not bad since there are several matches to be played before wrapping up the AFCON qualifiers mission.

Taifa Stars first made it to AFCON finals in 1980 in Nigeria where they were packed in group A alongside the host Nigeria, Egypt and Ivory Coast.

Their second appearance came in 2019 in Egypt where they were put in group C together with Algeria, Senegal and Kenya and they also finished at the bottom of the group.

Then in 2023, Tanzania again qualified for the AFCON finals and this time, the showdown unfolded in Ivory Coast where the country’s envoys were placed in group F as well as Morocco, DR Congo and Zambia.