AfricaPress-Tanzania: NATIONAL team, Taifa Stars will be targeting to make a vital stride in their campaign of searching the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification as they take on Equatorial Guinea away today.
The group J clash will be at the Estadio de Malabo in Guinea capital Malabo. Taifa Stars is seeking a second consecutive qualification of the continental’s premier competition by ensuring they secure positive result in their two remaining games.
Away victory will be crucial for Taifa Stars, who are settled in the third slot in group J on four points from four matches. They sit two points behind their hosts who are positioned second with six points.
This means that Stars need nothing less than a victory today to outshine their opponents at their home ground and remain in contention for a slot in the finals.
Speaking about their game against Equatorial Guinea, Stars skipper Mbwana Samatta said they are aware of the big task ahead of them. “It is a big call but we are ready to fight for positive results… we believe everything is possible,” said Samatta.
Winner of today’s encounter which is likely to be decisive will join group favourites and leaders Tunisia, who are at the summit of the group on ten points from four matches and mathematically, they have already booked their place in the Cameroon 2022 finals.
The group standings see Tunisia on the driver’s seat on ten points, followed by Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania, who are on six and four points respectively and Libya are at the bottom on three points.
Stars squad under the tutelage of their Danish tactician Kim Poulsen left Kenya on Tuesday for Malabo with 30 strong-man squad. Taifa Stars had pitched camp in Nairobi for almost two weeks to prepare for today’s battle.
The squad which is in Equatorial Guinea is also going to face Libya in another must win encounter three days later at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
Players in the squad are goalkeepers: Goalkeepers: Aishi Manula (Simba SC), Metacha Mnata (Yanga SC), Juma Kaseja (KMC) Defenders: Shomari Kapombe (Simba SC), Israel Mwenda (KMC FC), Erasto Nyoni (Simba SC), Bakari Nondo Mwamnyeto (Yanga SC), Kelvin Yondani (Polisi Tanzania), Kennedy Juma (Simba SC), Laurent Alfred (Azam FC), Mohammed Hussein (Simba SC), Nickson Kibabage (Youssoufia FC -Morocco), Yassin Mustapha (Yanga SC).
Midfielder: Simon Msuva (Wydad AC – Morocco), Hassan Dilunga (Simba SC), Mzamiru Yassin (Simba SC), Jonas Mkude (Simba SC), Feisal Salum (Yanga SC), Himid Mao (ENPPI – Egypt), Salum Abubakar (Azam FC), Farid Mussa (Yanga SC), Iddy Suleiman Nado (Azam FC).
Forwards: Mbwana Samatta (Fenerbahce FC -Turkey), Thomas Ulimwengu (TP Mazembe -DR Congo), John Raphael Bocco (Simba SC), Yohana Mkomola (Inhulets Petrove -Ukraine), Shaaban Iddi Chilunda (Moghreb FC -Morocco), Deus Kaseke (Yanga SC), Abdul Hamis Suleiman (Coastal Union), Ayoub Lyanga (Azam FC).
During their Nairobi camp, Stars were scheduled to play two build –up games with their hosts Kenya’s Harambee Stars but they only managed one, following the untimely death of Tanzania President John Magufuli on March 17th this year that resulted to the cancellation of the second game which was to be staged on March 18th this year.
In the first game held on March 15, Taifa Stars lost 2-1 against the hosts with goals from Erick Kapaito and Abdalla Hassan who scored for Harambee Stars, while Ayub Lyanga scored the consolation goal for the Stars.
The top two nations in each group of the AFCON qualifiers will advance to the 24- team finals hosted in Cameroon next year. It will run from January 9 to February 6, 2022. Five teams are already guaranteed their place in the 33rd edition.
It includes Cameroon, five times Africa Cup of Nations winners, which qualify as host country. Mali (Group A), Senegal (Group I), Tunisia (Group J) and defending champion Algeria (Group H) are also already qualified for the final stages
