Stars’victory over Ethiopia sets up tense qualification finale

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s national football team, Taifa Stars, must defeat Guinea to secure their spot in the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals scheduled for next year in Morocco.

Stars, who defeated Ethiopia 2-0 in Kinshasa on Saturday, currently sit third in Group H with seven points from five matches, while Guinea occupy second place with nine points.

DR Congo lead the group with 12 points and have already secured qualification, while Ethiopia have been eliminated from contention.

The crucial encounter will take place tomorrow at 4pm East African Time at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

Guinea need only a draw to book their ticket to Morocco. In the reverse fixture played in Ivory Coast, Taifa Stars triumphed 2-1.

Speaking to The Citizen, Taifa Stars interim head coach Hemed “Morocco” Suleiman expressed confidence in his team’s readiness.

“The standings show just how important this match is for us. Only a win will take us to the Afcon finals for the fourth time in history,” said Suleiman.

Five spots up for grabs as Afcon qualifiers reach final stage

The road to AFCON 2025 has reached its climax, with the final round of qualifiers (Matchday 6) set to deliver thrilling contests.

With five spots still available, Africa's most prestigious football tournament, scheduled for 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026 in Morocco, promises intense competition.

Nineteen teams have already secured their places, leaving the fight for second place in several groups fiercely contested. Group D: A tightrope for Libya and Rwanda as

Libya have a unique chance to leap from last to second if they can defeat Benin at home today. Benin, currently second, face immense pressure to secure a result. Rwanda’s slim hopes rely on an improbable away win over group leaders Nigeria, who have already qualified.

Group F:  Sudan holds the advantage

as the decider sees Sudan needing just a draw against already-qualified Angola.

However, a loss for Sudan could open the door for Niger, who must beat Ghana away. Although the Black Stars are already eliminated following their 1-1 draw in Angola, they could still spoil Niger's ambitions.

Group I: The clash between Guinea-Bissau and Mozambique is a winner-takes-all showdown. Both teams have shown commendable form in the qualifiers, but only one will join group leaders Mali in Morocco.

Group C: Botswana, sitting second with a two-point advantage over Cape Verde and Mauritania, face a challenging trip to Cairo against an already-qualified Egyptian side.

Meanwhile, Cape Verde and Mauritania will battle for a chance to leapfrog Botswana should they falter against Egypt.