AfricaPress-Tanzania: TANZANIA’s senior national soccer side ‘Taifa Stars’ skipper, Mbwana Samatta, and team mates, Simon Msuva and Yohana Mkomola, are expected to arrive at the team’s camp in Kenya today.
Samatta turns out for Turkish football outfit, Fenerbahçe S.K, whereas Msuva features for Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca, and Nkomola features for Ukraine’s Ingulets Petrove.
Reports from Nairobi stated that the three players will arrive early today to join their teammates, who have been in the camp since March 13 this year to prepare for Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers’ clash against Equatorial Guinea.
The Taifa Stars’ trio was delayed due to their clubs’ responsibilities.
Samatta was featuring for Fenerbahce in Turkish Premier League, Msuva was featuring for Wydad Casablanca in CAF Champions League, Mkomola had been turning out for Ingulets Petrove in Ukrainian Premier League.
Sunday’s Turkish Super Lig derby between Besiktas and Samatta’s Fenerbahce ended in 1-1 draw, with Algerian forward, Rachid Ghezzal, getting an assist.
For Fenerbahce, they could not grind out any meaningful opportunity in the first half but Tanzanian Samatta was cautioned on the 31st minute for a foul on Croatian defender Domagoj Vida.
Msuva tasted his first Casablanca Derby win, as his outfit, Wydad Casablanca, cruised to 2-0 victory over rivals, Raja Casablanca, on Sunday to go top of the Botola Pro League.
Mkomola led Ingulets Petrove to 1-0 win over Oleksandriya in the Ukrainian Premier League to climb to the ninth spot in the Ukrainian top-tier.
Taifa Stars, under head coach Kim Poulsen, have set up camp in Kenya where they had hoped to play two friendly matches against Kenya’s national team ‘Harambee Stars’.
They, though, played only one game on March 15 and lost 2-1 while the other match, which had been scheduled to be played on March 18, was cancelled following the death of Tanzania’s fifth phase President, John Pombe Magufuli, who passed away on March 17.
Poulsen’s men turn their focus on the AFCON qualifiers’ match against Equatorial Guinea, which will take place at Estadio de Malabo on Thursday.
In the first clash bringing together the squads, held in Dar es Salaam on November 15, 2019, the hosts cruised to 2-1 victory.
Taifa Stars’ goals were scored by Msuva on the 69th minute and midfielder, Salum Abubakar ‘Sure Boy’ on the 90th minute. Equatorial Guinea’s consolation was scored by Pedro Obiang on the 15th minute.
