Ambitious Stars off to Addis

Dar es Salaam. A 22-man squad of the national soccer team, Taifa Stars, leaves for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for an international friendly match against Sudan.

Stars, who have been undergoing residential training in the city since last week under close supervision of head coach Kim Poulsen, were yesterday busy, perfecting their tactics for the clash set for June 2.

For Poulsen’s boys, the friendly will serve as their last warm-up ahead of a crucial 2014 World Cup qualifier against Morocco set for June 8 in Marrakesh. They are expected to leave Addis Ababa for Morocco on June 3, according to the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) information officer, Boniface Wambura.

A win against Sudan, the only East African team at the 2012 African Cup of Nations finals in South Africa, would put Stars in the perfect frame of minds ahead of the Marrakesh clash.

Meanwhile, Cecafa secretary general, Nicholas Musonye, has assured that security will be a priority in the forthcoming Kagame Cup tournament kicking off on June 18 in South Sudan.

There have been concerns in the security of the troubled Sudanese cities of Al Fasher, north Darfur and Kaidiguli which will host the matches.

“We have been in constant talks with the government of Sudan as well as the governors of the two states and they have assured us that security will be beefed up.”

“I want to assure everybody that it will be safe to host the games in Sudan and I personally would not allow the championship to be hosted in an unsafe place,” Musonye said yesterday..

Mainland champions Young Africans and Simba are among teams expected to compete in the tournament.

Musonye said that preparations and logistics for the annual championship were in top gear.

 “We have been in Sudan several times to ensure that all plans are in place for the tournament,” he insisted.