Fansided

2019 Africa Cup of Nations: Group C preview

By Liam Bekker

CAIRO, EGYPT - JUNE 17: General view of the exterior of Cairo International Stadium on 17th June, 2019 in Cairo, Egypt. (Photo by Visionhaus)
CAIRO, EGYPT - JUNE 17: General view of the exterior of Cairo International Stadium on 17th June, 2019 in Cairo, Egypt. (Photo by Visionhaus) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next
Nigeria’s forward Ahmed Musa (L) vies with Tanzania’s players during the 2017 African Cup of Nations qualification football match between Nigeria and Tanzania in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on September 3, 2016. / AFP / PIUS UTOMI EKPEI (Photo credit should read PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP/Getty Images)
Nigeria’s forward Ahmed Musa (L) vies with Tanzania’s players during the 2017 African Cup of Nations qualification football match between Nigeria and Tanzania in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on September 3, 2016. / AFP / PIUS UTOMI EKPEI (Photo credit should read PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP/Getty Images) /

Tanzania

Tanzania will play in only their second Africa Cup of Nations tournament and first since 1980. The Taifa Stars are the second-lowest ranked nation taking part of the competition and are ranked just three places above Burundi in the FIFA rankings.

Qualification

Emmanuel Amunike’s side experienced a mixed bag of results during qualifying, winning, drawing and losing two of their six matches. Their inconsistency meant qualification looked unlikely heading into the last round of fixtures with the Tanzanians needing to beat table-toppers Uganda and hope Lesotho drop points against Cape Verde. Lesotho only managed to take a point of the Cape Verdeans and Tanzania responded with surprisingly comfortable 3-0 win to secure their ticket to Egypt.

The squad

Tanzania boast a strong local contingent with no fewer than 14 squad members playing in the domestic Tanzanian Premier League. Among those is the experienced defensive trio of Erasto Nyoni, Kelvin Yondani and Aggrey Morris who bear an average age of 33.

Faridi Mussa, Mbwana Samatta and Abdillahie Yussuf are the nation’s three European-based representatives with the remainder of the squad turning out for various teams across the African continent.

Key player: Mbwana Samatta

Captain Mbwana Samatta is the undoubted star of the Tanzanian side. The 26-year old striker is currently one of best players in the Belgian league where he has scored 49 goals in 129 appearances for Genk. His goalscoring form at club level is replicated with the national team where he is fast approaching Mrisho Ngasa’s all-time record of 25 goals.

Tanzania are unlikely to progress from the group stages but the tournament will provide Samatta with the opportunity to display his talents on Africa’s grandest stage. He’s recently been linked with a move to the Premier League and a strong showing in Egypt could earn him a career-defining move.

Home/Soccer