Dr Mshindo Msolla
amsolla@ yahoo.co.uk
    LOOKING AT SPORTS with A BIRD'S EYE

Stakes are high as the national senior soccer team, Taifa Stars, prepares to pitch a camp from next Friday.
Though coach Jan Poulsen has yet to unveil the provisional squad, soccer lovers are already speculating on the line-up. A lot of tacticians have always expressed their dissatisfaction with the past team selections and their arguments proved to be true, for Stars never really lived up to their billing. Looking at the composition of the previous national squads, it makes one to wonder whether Tanzania is serious enough with soccer development.

Most of the Taifa Stars selections were inconsiderate of the future, which cast doubts over whether Tanzania will ever make a stride in soccer.

The number of the so-called Tanzanian professionals is swelling, but most of them do not have qualities to play for the national team. If you follow keenly the ongoing premiership and first division league, you will never be tempted to suggest any “professional” for Taifa Stars except Mbwana Samata of TP Mazembe. Samata is an exception here, but truth be told, there are a lot of players in the domestic leagues who are more accomplished than those plying their trade overseas. I think it’s high time Poulsen shunned them because they have almost zero impact on  the national team.

  Some of the players are in the twilight of their playing career, how on earth can such players be effective for Taifa Stars?  Modern football is characterised by pace and precise double passes, therefore, for a good coach, it is imperative to blood up-and-coming players.

My piece of advice to Poulsen is; he should try to give the budding players more Stars chance, for they represent the country’s soccer future.Today’s soccer fraternity will not have any problem with the decision to give the ageing player a blind eye.

Maintaining the same old players will definitely leave Tanzanian soccer in the doldrums.
I would sincerely assure Poulsen that had he made this decision soon after winning the Cecafa Cup two years ago, he could have already a terrific team.

My last advice to the TFF and government, which has often been covering the expenses of Stars, is that the national team coach’s contract should be determined by performance. There should be a specific agreed number of matches in which the coach has to produce desirable results otherwise he should get the sack.

I am quite convinced that if the government heeds my advice, the coaches will deliver, but with the prevailing conditions, the foreign coaches are guaranteed to see out their contracts.

Dr Msolla is the former Premier League and national soccer team coach

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