Taifa Stars in do-or-die match against DR Congo
Tanzania’s national football team (Taifa Stars) players pose shortly before clashing with Zambia in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) encounter at Stade Laurent Pokou in San Pedro, Ivory Coast. PHOTO | AFP
What you need to know:
- The Group F match is scheduled to kick off at 11pm, and only victory will make the team secure a spot in the last 16 of the competition if Morocco beat Zambia
Dar es Salaam. The national football team (Taifa Stars) today (January 24, 2024) face a must win encounter against DR Congo in Group F at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium in Korhogo, Ivory Coast.
The Group F match is scheduled to kick off at 11 pm, and only victory will make the team secure a spot in the last 16 of the competition, provided Morocco register a win over Zambia in another match scheduled simultaneously at the Laurent Pokou Stadium in San Pedro.
Morocco lead Group F with four points, followed by DR Congo with two points, and Zambia are third with two points as well.
Taifa Stars find themselves at the bottom of the group with one point after playing two matches.
Taifa Stars interim head coach Hemed "Morocco" Suleiman predicted a tough match against one of the African giants, saying, however, that their main target is to register victory.
Suleiman added that his players are in high spirit ahead of the encounter, promising to deliver their best. He said his players know what Tanzania fans should expect from them.
"It is a decisive match for my team. We will have to be very keen as we are going to play against a tough team, which is yet to lose a single match in our group. We have trained well, and we believe we will come out victorious," said Suleiman.
He explained that all the mistakes made in their last match against Zambia have been rectified, expressing hope that his players will implement the teachings from the technical bench.
Taifa Stars skipper Mbwana Samatta affirmed their readiness to fight for the nation and bring joy to the fans.
Despite acknowledging the tough challenge, Samatta insisted that their will emerge victorious.
"We are ready for the challenge, and our focus is on victory. It is not going to be easy, as our opponents will also be targeting the same. Our aim is to make Tanzanian football fans happy," said Samatta.
Meanwhile, Taifa Stars striker Simon Msuva has said he remains optimistic that they will do their best in the encounter, urging all fellow Tanzanians to give them support in order to come out victorious in the decisive the encounter.
