Taifa Stars players ready for Uganda challenge in 2023 AFCON Qualifier

22Mar 2023
Michael Mwebe
Sport
The Guardian
Taifa Stars players ready for Uganda challenge in 2023 AFCON Qualifier

​​​​​​​TANZANIA’s senior national soccer team, Taifa Stars, are ready to play Uganda’s Cranes, the former's midfielder Novatus Dismas has stated.

Players making Tanzania's senior national soccer side, Taifa Stars, attend a training session in Egypt early this week in preparation for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers' duel against Uganda scheduled for March 24 in Ismailia. PHOTO: COURTESY OF TANZANIA FOOTBALL FEDERATION

Dismas said so in the build-up to the 2023 African Nations Cup Qualifiers’ tie between the two East African countries scheduled for Friday in Egypt.

Uganda is set to host Tanzania in the Group F of the qualifiers in Ismaily and the two sides will meet each other again three days later in Dar es Salaam.

They are the matches that Taifa Stars must win to have any chance of reaching the continental showpiece's finals in Ivory Coast next year.

Coincidentally, both Tanzania and Uganda are camping in Cairo before connecting to Ismailia, some 128 kilometers away, for the clash due Friday.

This match will be the first for the new Taifa Stars’ head coach, Adel Amrouche, who was a surprise pick for the post and will be looking to make a good impression in his debut.

Amrouche had his first training session with the players on Monday.

After the training session, midfielder Dismas who plays for Zulte Waregem in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League said all Taifa Stars players are well aware of what is at stake in the crucial AFCON Qualifiers’ double-header against Uganda.

The young midfielder, who can also operate as a left wingback, acknowledged Uganda's past prowess against Tanzania but he was confident their squad has the required morale and spirit needed to emerge victorious in the battle.

Dismas revealed: “We are focused on the game. All players believe Uganda is a good team, we respect them and it's been a while now since we haven't got good results when we meet them, but right now I believe we are 100 percent prepared and we have the morale to battle them.”

The midfielder will be competing for a place in the crowded midfield against Himid Mao, Mzamiru Yassin, Feisal Salum, and fellow youngsters Ally Msengi and Khabib Khalid.

He added: “We also have the added experience from senior players who have played many matches against Uganda, they are guiding us and they are offering insights to new players who have been called for this game... we are confident we will do well.”

The good news for Tanzania is that they beat Uganda 1-0 in the last meeting between the two sides that was played in Libya last year.

However, the most recent competitive meeting was won by Uganda who triumphed 3-0 in a 2022 African Nations Championship Qualifiers tie played in Kampala in August last year.

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