Taifa Stars squad - Photo Credit TFF Media.
Tanzania national team head coach Hemed ‘Morocco’ Suleiman believes Taifa Stars have grown in confidence and will not be cowed during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Morocco.
The East African nation found themselves drawn in Group C, alongside Nigeria, Tunisia, and Uganda. According to Suleiman, who attended the draw in Rabat alongside his assistant coach, Jamhuri Kihwelo ‘Julio,’ Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) President Wallace Karia, and Vice-President Athuman Nyamlani, Taifa Stars are beyond being humiliated and are ready to participate in the highest level.
“Tanzania is not a weak team. I have been here in Morocco, and when you introduce yourself as a Tanzanian coach, there is a lot of respect. Even after the draw, you could see our competitors thinking deeply. Tanzania has moved beyond the humiliation of previous years; we deserve respect,” Suleiman said as quoted by the Guardian.
“For me, there is no easy group, including ours. All groups are difficult. Tanzania has come out of the era of weakness. We need to believe in ourselves as a nation that we can achieve great things. In previous years, we participated as escorts, but things are different now.”
He added: “In the last AFCON finals, we managed to secure points in the group stage. This time, our goal is to compete for one of the top two spots in the group to progress further.”
Suleiman further revealed their plans for the tournament by saying: “The group has a mix of teams, and we must organize ourselves accordingly. As coaches, we have the responsibility to study all our opponents in depth.
“Beyond that, we will hold preparatory meetings with TFF and government leaders. Proper planning and execution are crucial to our success. If we do this on a large scale, nothing is impossible for us.”
Taifa Stars will be participating in the AFCON finals for the fourth time in the nation’s history, having previously appeared in 1980 (Nigeria), 2019 (Egypt), and 2023 (Ivory Coast).
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