Taifa Stars hope to shine in Afcon finals next year

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s national football team (Taifa Stars) players are optimistic about excelling in next year’s Africa Cup of Nations finals despite facing tough teams.

Taifa Stars are in Group F together with African giants, Morocco, DR Congo, and Zambia. Although many football pundits say the country is in the “group of death,” top players have different views ahead of the tournament to be held in Ivory Coast.

The team’s striker, Simon Msuva, has said they are not afraid of any rival team in their group, especially Zambia and the DR Congo, against whom they have played many times.

The striker said they will have to stretch their muscles in order to do well in the prestigious tournament.

"We have already gained experience in this competition, and we are aware of the strength of these two teams that we've played against before. The important thing is for us to go and fight hard," said Msuva.

Msuva, who features for JS Kabylie FC of Algeria, is of the view that it can be done if each of them plays his part well, saying that the competition will be tough with each team targeting victory. “Even those nations that are said to be African football giants started like us. We are now going up, and I am sure we will attain the highest standard. We are going to shock them,” said Msuva.

Besides Msuva, another Taifa Stars player, Novatus Dismas, said they will have to play with determination in all their matches in order to succeed.

"Football has changed a lot nowadays; there are no big names. We, as the nation's hope, will not be weak, but we will fight hard," said Dismas.

Former Taifa Stars head coach Boniface Mkwasa said he hopes the current team will do wonders in the next finals.

"It's hard to say we'll break through, but I believe we have high-quality players playing in Europe. The main thing is to have good preparations, as nothing is beyond us," Mkwasa said.

Group A is made up of Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau, while Group B has Egypt, Ghana, Cape Verde, and Mozambique.

Teams in Group C are Senegal, Cameroon, Guinea, and Gambia, adding to the variety of competitive matchups awaiting fans.

The excitement doesn’t stop there, as other groups showcase their own formidable lineups. Group D includes Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, and Angola, while Group E features Tunisia, Mali, South Africa, and Namibia.

With such a diverse lineup of strong teams, the tournament promises fierce competition, showcasing the finest football talent from across the African continent.

The road to glory will not be an easy one, but the top two teams from each group will advance to the round of 16, alongside the four best third-placed teams. This structure ensures that the tournament will remain highly competitive from start to finish.