AfricaPress-Tanzania: TAIFA Stars veteran defender Erasto Nyoni returned home on Sunday night two days before the country’s envoys play against Guinea in the crucial group D match of Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) finals in Cameroon.
Nyoni who landed at Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) in the city could not make any remarks about what brought him back prematurely bearing in mind that his experience in the team was needed most at this juncture.
He was the only active player in the current squad who featured in the 2009 CHAN edition in Ivory coast when Tanzania competed for the first time. His then defensive partner Nadir Haroub is now trading as Taifa Stars manager.
Taifa Stars play their last group D game versus leaders Guinea tomorrow in an important match which will define their destiny as far as the competition is known.
A win will see them stepping into the quarterfinals while a draw or defeat will be an advantage outcome for Guinea to sail into the last eight of the contest as such, it is a must win encounter for the country’s flag carriers.
Speaking via a telephone interview from Cameroon ahead of the essential match, the team’s Assistant Coach Juma Mgunda said the most important thing is to fully prepare for the tomorrow’s game to get good results.
“As you know, we are in a competition and here, what matters most are the tangible results gained at the end of the match regardless how your side played. “All players who make up our team are of good health and so far, we have no injury concerns. As I speak with you, we have already arrived in Douala from Limbe where the match will be staged,” Mgunda said.
He continued that their 1-0 win over Namibia to a large extent uplifted morale of players and that they are all hopeful to win again against Guinea.
“We are thankful to the prayers from Tanzanians who wish their team well and they should continue to pray for us as we head to another crucial match. These players are Tanzanians hence they need our full support to encourage them to achieve more,” he said.
The hopes for Tanzania to venture into the last eight were revived courtesy of a 1-0 victory over Namibia with the latter already eliminated from the competition as they face second placed Zambia in their last match before heading back to Namibia.
Farid Mussa’s 66th minute strike was enough to give Stars a hard earned 3 points and their first triumph of the campaign which draws players who are featured in their domestic leagues.
