Taifa Stars break jinx against Zambia in World Cup qualifier
Tanzania national football team (Taifa Stars) players celebrate after winning 1-0 over Zambia’s Chipolopolo last Tuesday at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola, Zambia. PHOTO | COURTESY
What you need to know:
- The victory has propelled Taifa Stars to the second position with six points from three matches, while Zambia remain in fourth place with three points from four matches.
Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania national football team (Taifa Stars) last Tuesday ended Zambia’s long-standing domination over East African countries by becoming the first nation to secure an away victory in an international competition.
Taifa Stars recorded a 1-0 win over Zambia’s Chipolopolo at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola in the 2026 World Cup qualifier of Group E.
The winning goal was scored by Junior Waziri in the fifth minute, following a good pass from Mudathir Yahaya.
The victory has propelled Taifa Stars to the second position with six points from three matches, while Zambia remain in fourth place with three points from four matches.
Morocco top the group with nine points from three matches, Niger are third with three points, and Congo Brazzaville are at the bottom with no points after playing two matches.
Records show that this is the first time Taifa Stars have won away over Zambia as no team from the East African Community had before managed to record victory over Chipolopolo at their home venue in qualifiers for the World Cup or for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Zambia had often played on their home soil against Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, and Rwanda and would either emerge victorious or end in draws.
One of the most memorable result for Taifa Stars was in 1980 when they recorded a 1-1 draw against Zambia to qualify for the first time for the Africa Cup of Nations finals held in Lagos, Nigeria.
Taifa Stars will next year start at home against Congo Brazzaville on March 17, before playing away against Morocco on March 24 and against Congo Brazzaville on September 1. After that, Taifa Stars will return home for the last two Group E matches against Niger on September 8 and against Zambia on October 6.
The nine winners of Groups A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and I will qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup, while four runners-up with the best average will compete in a playoff to seek a place in the intercontinental playoffs. The winner will compete in the intercontinental playoffs, which will be played in November 2025.
Meanwhile, Taifa Stars captain Bakari Mwamnyeto said their fighting spirit and instructions from their coaches were secret behind their victory in the encounter.
The national team skipper admitted that the match was tough and congratulated teammates, the technical bench and officials for the good cooperation shown.
