Stars players 'should avoid complacency'
Thursday September 09 2021
National football team players Novatus Dismass (left) and Simon Msuva celebrate after Taifa Stars scored a goal against the Madagascar national team in the 2022 Qatar Fifa World Cup qualifying match at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday. Taifa Stars won 3-2. PHOTO | COURTESY
Dar es Salaam. Football analysts in are optimistic that the national team, Taifa Stars, can qualify for the Fifa World Cup in Qatar next year if the technical bench will strengthen their defence - and should not be satisfied with the current position.
Taifa Stars won 3-2 against Madagascar to go to the top of the table in Group J, with four points from two matches. The comment was made by Ally Mayay who, during his golden soccer days, played for the national team as well as a soccer giant in the country, Young Africans SC (Yanga).
Mayay said Taifa Stars’ defenders allowed “soft” equalising goals in the encounter against Madagascar at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Tuesday.
He explained that, although goals are normally scored through defence mistakes, what happened on that day was the result of poor marking by the defence line as well as goal-keeping.
“The first goal was scored by an unmarked Madagascar player while the equalizing one was caused by foul play by Erasto Nyoni and poor goal-keeping. So far, we have experienced the same goals that Aishi Manula (Taifa Stars) goalkeeper normally conceded even in club matches. We need to rectify that in the future,” said Mayay. But, he also commended the players for the victory.
He cautioned that Taifa Stars have to defend well - else, there’s the possibility of conceding goals. Apart from that, Mayay said, Taifa Stars could make history if the current fighting spirit is increased, and they avoid defensive blunders. “The match against Benin will be tough. The Stars need build-up matches with tough opponents. We have the chance to make history by qualifying for the World Cup finals for the first time. Players have to know that there are yet to reach the top position as the battles are still going on,” he said.
Another analyst, Kenny Mwaisabula, said the players have to change their habit of being satisfied with the results in the next encounters.
“Our players were satisfied after leading 2-0, and allowed Madagascar to attack and equalise. They have to know that there are advantage of scoring many goals in qualifying matches. We need to strengthen our defence and goal-keeping,” Mwasaibula stressed.