Twiga Stars must keep focus in WAFCON

DAR ES SALAAM: THE message for the national women football team – Twiga Stars is simple: Take every match at a time, aim for maximum points and keep pushing forward.

The historic 2-1 victory over South Africa was a major achievement and a moment to be remembered in Tanzanian football history.

Defeating the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) champions in the opening Group B match showed the quality, determination and belief within this team. For the first time, Tanzania recorded a victory at the WAFCON finals.

The win ended a difficult winless run in the competition, after five defeats and one draw from their previous matches since making their debut in 2010.

Latest, was a result that reflected the progress of women’s football in the country and the hard work of the players, coaches and everyone involved in the development of the game. But the job is yet to be done.

A strong opening result is important, but tournaments are not won in one match. Twiga Stars must now maintain focus, remain disciplined and approach every game with the same hunger and determination shown against South Africa.

Today’s Group B fixture against Burkina Faso presents another opportunity. Another victory would move Tanzania closer to securing qualification for the knockout stage and give the team a stronger position before the final group match.

The players have already shown they can compete against the best teams in Africa. The challenge now is to be consistent.

The team must continue to defend with organisation, attack with confidence and take chances when they come. The spirit and energy of this young squad have been among its biggest strengths.

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However, success at a tournament requires more than excitement and confidence. It requires concentration, patience and the ability to manage pressure in every moment of every match.

Twiga Stars have taken an important step, but there is still more to achieve. Reaching the knockout stage should now be the immediate target, and the team has the ability to go beyond that if it continues to believe and perform at its best.

The victory over South Africa proved that Tanzania belongs on this stage.

Now the focus must turn to Burkina Faso. One match at a time, one objective at a time. Three points today would bring another important step towards history.

Twiga Stars should continue to fight, continue to improve and continue to make Tanzania and Tanzanians proud.