Taifa Stars' coach confident despite loss to Egypt in friendly

09Jan 2024
The Guardian Reporter
Sport
The Guardian
Taifa Stars' coach confident despite loss to Egypt in friendly

TANZANIA’s senior national football team, Taifa Stars, suffered a 2-0 defeat to hosts Egypt in an international friendly match played in Cairo on Sunday night.

 

The two teams used the match to prepare ahead of the 2023 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) which is slated to kick off on January 13, 2024, in Côte d’Ivoire.

In the 32nd minute, Egypt found the breakthrough from a quick move that saw Salah feed ex-Aston Villa winger Mahmoud Trezeguet before the latter calmly finished to give his side the advantage.

Marwan Ateya's thumping strike nearly doubled Egypt’s lead as Tanzania's goalkeeper Aishi Manula tipped the ball into the bar before the end of the first half.

After the break, his 73rd-minute penalty hit the crossbar, deflected back off Tanzania goalkeeper Aishi Manula and found the net.

Taifa Stars head coach Adel Amrouche sent a clear message that Tanzania is not just showing up at the AFCON, it is aiming to compete.

After a rigorous training camp in Egypt, Amrouche assured Tanzania's football fans that his team is hungry for victory.

Amrouche insisted: “There are no easy games in this tournament but we’re prepared to fight for every point.”With a tough group stage schedule featuring Morocco, Zambia, and DR Congo, the Taifa Stars know they’ll have to bring their A-game.

But with Amrouche’s unwavering belief and their intense preparation, Tanzania could be a surprise contender in this year’s Africa Cup of Nations.

After the match against the Pharaohs, Taifa Stars’ skipper Mbwana Samatta said that Egypt is a very good opponent for us in the AFCON tournament.

The forward pointed out: “Egypt is one of the teams that have a good squad in terms of national teams, but it is a good test for us before our first game at 2023 AFCON against Morocco.”

“ I hope the coach and the whole technical bench has seen where we were good and what areas they will be able to improve,” Samatta noted.

Samatta added: “But I also hope the coach will try to use this friendly game to see the performance we got today and look at the shortcomings of our opponent because this game is a good test for us.”

The Tanzanian team arrived in Cote d’Ivoire yesterday and will start the Group F campaign with a match against 2022 FIFA World Cup semi-finalists Morocco on January 17.

The East African country’s team will later take on Zambia on January 21 before coming up against DR Congo in the last Group match on January 24.

 

Top Stories