Taifa Stars' World Cup dreams crushed after 2-0 defeat to Morocco
What you need to know:
Nayef Aguerd, who plays as a defender for the Spanish La Liga side Real Sociedad, opened the scoring in the 51st minute
Dar es Salaam. The national football team, Taifa Stars, saw their dream of qualifying for next year’s FIFA World Cup shattered today, March 26, 2025, following a 2-0 defeat to Morocco.
The match, played at the Honneur Stadium in Oujda, saw Morocco score both goals in the second half.
Nayef Aguerd, who plays as a defender for the Spanish La Liga side Real Sociedad, opened the scoring in the 51st minute.
Real Madrid attacking midfielder Ibrahima Diaz added the second in the 58th minute through a penalty.
Taifa Stars defender Ibrahim Abdullah Hamad, alias Bacca, handled the ball in the danger zone, and the match referee, Alhadi Mahamat from Chad, did not hesitate to award Morocco the penalty.
The result means Morocco tops Group E with 15 points from five matches, securing their qualification for next year’s World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. According to the qualification format, the nine group winners will qualify directly for the tournament.
Taifa Stars remain third in the group with six points, while Niger holds second place, also with six points, but with a superior goal difference of +2 (6-4) compared to Taifa Stars' -2 (2-4).
Zambia sits in fourth place with three points from four matches, while Congo Brazzaville, suspended by FIFA, remains in fifth place with zero points. Eritrea, initially part of Group E, withdrew from the competition.
To stay in contention, Taifa Stars must secure victories against Niger in September and Zambia in October. They may still qualify for the playoffs, which will involve four teams.
Currently, Gabon leads the playoff standings with 15 points, followed by Cameroon and Senegal with 11 points each, as well as Namibia.
Also in contention are Comoros and Mozambique, both with 12 points, and Burkina Faso with 11 points. Rwanda and Niger complete the playoff standings with eight and six points, respectively. Taifa Stars face a huge challenge to break into the top four of the playoff standings.
In the first half, Taifa Stars managed to resist Morocco’s attacks, despite the North African side dominating possession.
However, the second half proved disastrous for the Tanzanian side as they conceded two goals.
The team created two clear scoring chances, Feisal “Fei Toto” Salum in the 82nd minute and Charles M’mombwa two minutes later, but both attempts went wide.
