Stars to camp in Egypt ahead of Afcon finals
Taifa Stars players during a past training session. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- The camp will start on December 30, three days after a special match to launch the Amaan Stadium Mainland Tanzania national team, Kilimanjaro Boys, and Zanzibar on Wednesday
Dar es Salaam. The national football team (Taifa Stars) will camp in Egypt ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals scheduled to take place in Abijan, Ivory Coast, next year.
The camp will start on December 30, three days after a special match to launch the Amaan Stadium Mainland Tanzania national team, Kilimanjaro Boys, and Zanzibar counterpart, Zanzibar Heroes, scheduled to take place on Wednesday at 8 p.m.
Taifa Stars have been drawn into Group F together with Morocco, DR Congo, and Zambia. Their opening match will be held on January 17 against Morocco at the San-Pedro Stadium. According to an implacable source within the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF), Taifa Stars head coach Adel Amrouche proposed that the team camp in two countries ahead of the Afcon finals.
Already, Taifa Stars head coach Adel Amrouche has announced 53 players to form the provisional squad after carefully selecting a combination of experienced and emerging talent. The squad has been dominated by the players from the defending champions, the Young Africans (Yanga), with eight players, while Simba and Azam FC have each dominated four players.
Yanga players are Metacha Mnatha and Abutwalib Mshely, and defenders Bakari Mwamnyeto, Ibrahim Abdallah (Bacca), Clement Kibabage, and Dickson Job.
Yanga has also contributed midfielder Mudathir Yahya and striker Clement Mzize. Simba players are Aishi Manula, Mohammed Hussein, and Kennedy Juma in defense, and midfielder Mzamiru Yassin, who brings his experience and skill to the squad. Azam FC’s Lusajo Mwaikenda, Sospeter Bajana, Feisal Salum, and Abdul Suleiman Sopu also strengthen the Stars squad.
Singida Fountain Gate FC and Mtibwa Sugar FC are not left behind, as the clubs also make their mark in the provisional squad, contributing two players each. The Stars squad has Beno Kakolanya and Yusuph Kagoma from Singida Fountain Gate FC, who bring their talents as goalkeepers and defensive midfielders, respectively. Players Matheo Anthony and Ladaki Chasambi from Mtibwa Sugar FC are part of the Stars squad to add firepower to the attacking department.
