The Taifa Stars of Tanzania qualify for the 2024 AFCON in Ivory Coast following a hard-fought goalless draw in Algiers vs 2019 African Champions Algeria.
Consistent, solid and track record would not be the nearest words to anyone’s diction when they decide to think about Tanzania football, a story that continues to be rewritten through new chapters that come with every promise after yet another false start.
Not this time around as Adel Amrouche became the first man to qualify the Tanzanian men’s national team to the most prestigious footballing event in the African sport calendar at the first attempt.
In a showcase of complete jubilation, the country’s head of State her excellency Mama Samia Suluhu Hassan sent her warm congratulatory message on behalf of all the football fans in the country who she represents as the number one supporter of the national team, a congratulatory message that was accompanied by a cool token of a small matter of 500 milion Tshs which was added to the team’s bonus from the President’s pockets.
The President has indeed been true to her word when it comes to drumming up support for the country’s sporting representatives on the footballing end after a series of pocket to hand scenarios during last season’s CAF campaigns where Tanzania was represented deep in the group stages of both and beyond by the Kariakoo Giants whose rivalry literally defines Tanzanian football, Simba and Yanga, whereby she would regularly promise monies up to 10 million Tsh per goal scored in the knock out stages of the tourneys.
Opposition politician Zitto Kabwe, a known football aficionado who is ever elaborate in his passion for Liverpool and Simba used X, to declare the Taifa Stars as the only remaining unifying factor in one of continent’s most peaceful and stable regions. That is a vibe anyone can feel after the away draw on Thursday night and its very difficult to disagree with the politician’s sentiments.
Talk pre match focused on the absent players from the squad chiefly skipper Mbwanna Ally Samatta,easily the country’s best ever footballer and the most consistent in terms of proffesionl football who was ruled out with Injury and a Passport issue that could not be sorted in time. As well Azam Fc’s star midfielder Feisal Salum together with Simba’s fullbacks Shomari Kapombe and Mohamed Hussein who provoked national debate on their importance in a way that nearly derailed whatever plan Amrouche had for the mission ahead.
Quotes on international media 48 hrs before the match cantered around Amrouche’s Algerian counterpart statements on the state of the pitches in his country in what many described as mind games which one would struggle to figure out the purpose for with Algeria sealing qualification prior the game.
Amrouche’s own quotes made a light trend with complaints about poor transportation as well as lack of communication from his counterparts FA administrators all of which make this qualification that bit sweeter.
It should be said Adel Amrouche made bold decisions on his starting line up deserving all the credit since most fans would understand the difficulties surrounding his job had he failed in his maiden campaign with the Taifa stars who he joined mid campaign navigating a period where his hands were tied with the irregular performances from some of his star players from the country’s two giants whose squads are blotted with foreign stars who are seen to be carrying the majority of the weight of the two team’s success stories.
Starting star defender Novatus Dismas on the left of a 3 man midfield raised a few eyebrows with the newly signed Shakhtar Donetsk man doing a good job linking defence and attack in the last qualifier against Niger where he assisted Simon Msuva’s goal from his left back position. Amrouche had English based right-back, Haji Mnoga and Yanga skipper, Bakari Nondo, to thank for the way they handled the physical challenge posed by the Algerian attackers like Aime MAIHOUS. Mwamnyeto tried and failed to subdue Maihous in last season’s confederations cup final where the former Usma Algeir man was instrumental.
Mwamnyeto finished this particular match with 5 headed clearances which is more than what you can ask from a defender who has been previously blamed for a weakness in aerial balls – surely not in Algiers.
Post match stats paint a different picture but not that many will care because this will be one of the most celebrated stalemates in the history of Tanzanian football and still not many would be wrong if they decide to think that had Algeria depended their qualifying on a home victory, Tanzania would be licking their wounds but we all know that cases of IF are never cast in stone and the story of the day is Tanzania Qualifying for Afcon. PERIOD!!
The fact that this current Taifa Stars Gaffer once tried and failed to achieve the same feat with neighbouring country Kenya who suffered the ignominy of withdrawing from the qualifying process after a ban by Fifa for government meddling makes qualifying for Afcon a case of having one over your rivals with social media awash with jokes by Tanzania fans teasing their less fortunate East African counterparts Uganda and Kenya who both miss out.
For the third time in the history of this country’s football the national team will rub shoulders with the continents best at next year’s event in Abidjan and getting there wasn’t easy. Tanzania suffered 2 home defeats from Algeria and Uganda before victories over Niger and the one the preceded the Uganda defeat plus the away point with the 2019 edition’s champions Algeria was all Mama Samia’s men in blue needed to etch their own names in Tanzanian football folklore.
Nobody will accuse the Taifa stars of being favorites to win their group never mind trying to win the tournament itself, but surely, most will agree with the writer of this piece that for a country of Tanzania’s position in the African football food chain, qualifying is as sweet as winning the entire thing
By Geoffrey Lea, a Football Writer in Tanzania. @Geoffrey87Lea on X
