Twiga Stars upbeat to shine vs Ivory Coast 

TANZANIA: TANZANIA Women’s Senior team, Twiga Stars are upbeat to perform well as they face hosts Ivory Coast in the first leg match of Women’s Africa Cup of Nations’ first leg match at  Yamoussoukro Stadium today.

The team’s Head Coach Bakari Shime  is optimistic his charges will get good results banking on good preparations the team had prior for this mission.

During his interview with the press, Coach Shime insisted they are determined to qualify for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) next year, saying that past qualifiers have taught them a valuable lesson.

“Our target in this competition is to qualify for the WAFCON finals and we are well prepared. We have been in camp for about ten days ensuring that we impart our players with the necessary skills to win against Ivory Coast in both matches,” he said.

After the first duel in Ivory Coast, Tanzania will host the reverse leg match on Tuesday next week at Azam Complex in Dar es Salaam.

Shime said he banks on the squad which is composed of experienced and young players who are ready to fly high the national flag at the contest.

“We have a committed team with good players who are highly motivated and understand their responsibility as football players. Also, the government and sports stakeholders have been very supportive to ensure we get all the needed support to see women’s football excel,” he said.

Adding, he said the grassroots programmes conducted on both Tanzania Mainland and the Isles are also orchestrating the smooth success of women’s football in the country.

He further acknowledged that there are a considerable number of well-trained coaches who do a good job from school to club level hence aiding in grooming the ladies’ careers.

The 2024 WAFCON finals will be staged in Morocco for the second consecutive time and South Africa is the current champions.