Africa-Press – Tanzania. TAIFA Stars head coach Kim Poulsen says his boys are determined to beat Benin at Benjamin Mkapa stadium in Dar es Salaam today as the win will intensify their command of Group J and as well broaden a chance to qualify for the World Cup finals in Qatar.
Tanzania leads the group with four points after winning one game against Madagascar and a draw against the Democratic Republic of Congo. Benin are placed second though toed with Tanzania on points, but goal average puts Taifa Stars are at the helm of the group though both have won once and drawn once.
In a press conference held yesterday at Tanzania Football Federation Headquarters in Dar es Salaam, Poulsen said his charges are well drilled to face their opponents who have proven good in their previous two encounters.
He insisted that they would make good use of the home stadium, and with the preparations they had in the past few days, they would secure a victory.
“We have a dream to be on top of the table when we have finished against Benin. We know it can happen because we have a strong belief in each other and confidence after getting points in the last two games. We know the strength of Benin; they have a strong team as 90 per cent of the players are playing abroad, mainly in France in Ligue One or Two.
From the first two games, we have seen that they have a strong team with good strikers, midfielders, and the solid defence. Most importantly we believe in ourselves, we have a quality team, and the players believe in themselves.” The federation’s Media and Communications Officer Clifford Ndimbo revealed that FIFA has permitted 10,000 spectators to witness the encounter against Benin.
Also Ndimbo has called football fans to witness the game at an entry fee of 3000/- for a regular seat or 5000/- VIP B. Taifa Stars striker John Bocco has told the national newspaper “Daily News” that they are ready for the game. They understand how important the game is to Tanzanians.
So they will give it a try with all their effort to pick a victory and provide them with command of the group. In case Tanzania wins, they will pocket seven points. The return leg will be staged at Stade de l’Amitié in Cotonou, Benin.
Today’s encounter will be the match between Group J leaders Taifa Stars versus second-placed Benin with four points from their two fixtures.
Hence, a winner will extend the gap. DR Congo are third on the group with two points garnered after registering two draws while the fourth slot is occupied by Madagascar who are point-less at the base of the table.
Meanwhile, Taifa Stars have confirmed that they will miss four players Bakari Mwamnyeto, Shomari Kapombe, Erasto Nyoni and Jonas Mkude in their 2022 World Cup qualifiers Group J against Benin. Clarifying on the development yesterday was the team’s manager Nadir Haroub, who said Mwamny-eto, Kapombe and Nyoni are nursing injuries while Nyoni has family issues to take care of.
“Their absence will not have any negative effect because we have other players capable of doing a good job for the country because our anthem in this competition is to qualify and nothing else,” the manager said. Haroub also disclosed that the addition of two players in the squad, Shomari Kibwana (Young Africans) and Kibu Denis (Simba), will add a dimension to the strength of the team ahead of their two back-to-back qualifying matches.
