Africa-Press – Tanzania. NATIONAL team, Taifa Stars has vowed to leave no stone unturned as they scale up preparations for their two decisive 2022 World Cup qualifiers games against DR Congo and Madagascar respectively.
The envoys will be in action on Thursday welcoming Group J third placed DR Congo at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam in a must win encounter.
Stars will need nothing else that maximum three points for them to maintain firm grip of the top spot. After that, Taifa Stars will travel to face Madagascar in their final match of the qualifiers on Sunday.
Speaking on Tuesday, the team’s Manager Nadir Haroub insisted that each member in the squad is responding well to the training programmes and that they are eager to go for the two remaining group fixtures.
“Morale among players has doubled and the lads are working hard to put in practice what they are being instructed to do. What we pray is that they should all be of good health on the match day in order to do the intended job.
“With what I am seeing, I strongly believe that we are going to win on Thursday. I request Tanzanians wherever they are to support us in prayers,” said Haroub, who once captained Taifa Stars.
He however conceded that the DR Congo match will be tough as their opponents are also preparing well from where they are but he insisted that with the home ground advantage, they will try to play to win.
Unlike in the past home game against Benin in which Taifa Stars lost 1-0, where the match was played behind closed doors; on Thursday, a total of 30,000 supporters have been permitted by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to descend at the venue and back up their flag carriers.
This alone is a big boost to the envoys to do well bearing in mind that fans always have a big role to play when it comes to forcing for good results from their team and are usually regarded as the 12th player on the pitch.
Another tough match in group J will see Madagascar taking on Benin with the former sitting at the base of the table with three points as such, defeat after 90 minutes of play will see them bidding farewell to the contest.
On the other hand, Benin just like Taifa Stars on seven points, regard their Madagascar encounter as a gateway to reach the Promised Land hence it will be a neck to neck duel.
Top team from each of the ten groups will march into the two legged home and away knockout match of which, five teams will represent Africa in the FIFA World Cup finals to be staged in Qatar next year.
So far, Morocco and Senegal have advanced into the knockout stage of the qualifiers with two matches to go as such, they are waiting for other eight teams to join them.
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