Stars smell AFCON finals
SIMON Msuva’s goal revived Taifa Stars’ hopes to qualify for the finals of the Africa Cup of Nations following a 1-0 win over Niger at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in the city on Sunday.
The hard-earned victory firmly placed Taifa Stars at the second place with seven points prior to another Group F game between Uganda Cranes and Algeria who met in Cameroon late.
Stars are chasing Algeria, who have already qualified after posting 15 points after their 2-1 win over Uganda. With three goals in his bag, Msuva has been key scorer for Tanzania since the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying games commenced last year.
Msuva scored two of three goals for Stars with George Mpole adding one goal for Taifa Stars.
Algeria is the only nation in Group F with an African Cup of Nations (AFCON) ticket, with 15 points in the bag. After their yesterday’s loss to Tanzania, Niger have automatically ended their qualification hopes as they have remained with two points.
Uganda Cranes, with four points, remain the only threat to Taifa Stars if they win against Niger in their last game of the campaign. Tanzania will therefore need a win or draw to qualify for AFCON finals while Uganda need a win but draw or defeat will end their journey.
Apart from Tanzania securing two victories in the qualifying matches, yesterday’s win was the first for Tanzania at the home venue – Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s other victory was 1-0 against Uganda in March this year.
Tanzania began its qualifying campaign in June last year with a 1-1 draw with Niger. However, they lost two matches: 2-0 to Algeria in June last year and 1-0 to Uganda in March this year. A hard-fought match yesterday saw neither Tanzania nor Niger netting an opener until the end of the first-45 minutes, though they missed multiple chances.
Msuva missed the first opportunity in the 17th minute from a well-sculptured set-through with a header that went wide. Niger responded in the 30th minute, an attempt that Tanzania goalkeeper Beno Kakolanya timely saved. Mid way in the first half, Niger’s forward Boubacar Moumouni attempted to score from a corner set piece, but his header went wide.
Simon Msuva gave Tanzania the lead and eventually the winner in the 69th minute with a timely header that completed a tricky pass from Novatus Dismas, who skillfully outsmarted the two Nigerian defenders. Msuva’s goal lasted until the last minute of the game, despite the Niger forward Victorien Adebayor’s effort in the game’s last minutes.
The fifth round of qualifying matches commenced on June 14th and climaxes on Tuesday, with several countries seeking to confirm their places in Africa’s flagship football event next January.
In each group of the qualifying stage, only two teams will excel in the AFCON finals that will be staged in Cote d’Ivoire 2023.
In twelve qualification groups, teams that have qualified into the African Cup of Nations finals include Senegal, Equatorial Guinea, Tunisia, Zambia, Ivory Coast, Algeria, Egypt, Burkina Faso and Guinea-Bissau. Since June 14th, about ten games have been pitted in different venues.
Football fans have witnessed several games whiles remaining shocked, with Zambia’s 3-0 victory against Cote D’Ivore in Group H, South Africa securing a 2-1 win over Morocco in Group K, while Benin forced their guest Senegal into a 1-1 draw.
