Author: SULEIMAN JONGO
AfricaPress-Tanzania: TAIFA Stars departed yesterday to Turkey for a residential training camp ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Qualifiers against Tunisia. Taifa Stars will play Tunisia on November 13 in Tunis.
The teams will play against each other in home-and-away round-robin format.
The team took off at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam, beaming confidence of winning their away first leg against Tunisia.
Under head coach Burundian Etienne Ndayiragije, all the players were in the trip except team captain, Mbwana Samatta who will join the team after arriving in Turkey where he is playing for a Turkish Premier League side, Fenerbahce.
Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) Information Officer, Clifford Ndimbo said yesterday that all is well for the team’s ‘European training tour.’
‘The team will undergo a vigorous training before facing the Eagles of Carthage,” said Ndimbo. He insisted that there are no plans to play trial matches in Turkey since there was no time for that.
“The coach will basically work more on the ‘strength’ and weakness of the team towards forming a formidable side,” he said.
Group J of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification tournament is one of the 12 groups that will decide the teams which qualify for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations finals tournament.
The group consists of four teams: Tunisia, Libya, Tanzania, and Equatorial Guinea. Taifa Stars will therefore face the Northern African country twice this month in an attempt to seal a slot in the 2022 continental competition.
Ndayiragije recently recalled an experienced goalkeeper, Juma Kaseja, who plays for KMC as part of his mission against Tunisia.
Metacha Mnata, who has been superb for Yanga in the eight matches played has been picked alongside Aishi Manula to assist Kaseja’s role.
Mbwana Samatta – who made a move to Fenerbahçe after a half- a-season stay with Aston Villa – is among the foreign-based players depended heavily in the squad.
Simon Msuva who turns out for Difaa El Jadida of Morocco and Thomas Ulimwengu of TP Mazembe are the other foreignbased players in the squad.
Taifa Stars, who are third with three points in Group J, will then host the 2004 African champions on November 17.
Goalkeepers: Juma Kaseja (Kinondoni Municipal Council FC), Metacha Mnata (Young Africans SC), Aishi Manula (Simba SC), David Mapigano (Azam FC) Defenders: Shomari Kapombe (Simba SC), Deus Kaseke (Young Africans SC), Mohamed Hussein (Simba SC), Brayson David (Kinondoni Municipal Council FC), Bakari Mwamnyeto (Young Africans SC), Abdallah Kheri (Azam FC), Himid Mao (ENPPI SC), Erasto Nyoni (Simba SC).
Midfielders: Ditram Nchimbi (Young Africans SC), Ally Msengi (Stellenbosch FC), Feisal Salum (Young Africans SC), Farid Mussa (Young Africans SC), Mzamiru Yassin (Simba SC), Iddy Suleiman (Azam FC), Thomas Ulimwengu (TP Mazembe), Saidi Hamisi (Simba SC).
Strikers: Mbwana Samatta (Fenerbahçe), Simon Msuva (Difaa El Jadida), John Bocco (Simba SC), Adam Adam (JKT Tanzania), Salum Abubakar (Azam FC).
