Upbeat Taifa Stars vow they’ll tame Moroccan Lions
Deadly duo: Taifa Stars forwards Mbwana Samata (centre) and Thomas Ulimwengu (right), who ply their trades at TP Mazembe, celebrate with Amir Maftah after scoring against Morocco in March at the National Stadium. Stars won 3-1. PHOTO | FILE
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Here’s why they need to win: Victory will take Taifa Stars to the summit of the table with nine points, but only if leaders Cote d’Ivoire drop points uncharacteristically against bottom-placed Gambia.
Marrakesh. The national team, Taifa Stars, face a must-win situation to remain on the road to the 2014 World Cup when they take on Morocco at the Stade de Marrakesh today.
Kim Poulsen’s men currently occupy the second place in Group C, four points ahead of their North African opponents in third, and are looking to carve out a potentially decisive advantage.
A victory for stars might take them to the summit of the table with nine points, but only if leaders Cote d’Ivoire drop points uncharacteristically against bottom-placed Gambia.
Stars and the Lions of Atlas last met in the most recent round of qualification fixtures in March, with the former running out 3-1 winners at home.
Tanzania had beaten group rock-bottom Gambia and suffered defeat at the hands of the Elephants prior to that, while Morocco could take only draws from both fixtures.
In truth, both teams face an uphill battle to overthrow the star-studded Ivorians at the top of the group, but a win for Tanzania will mark another dawn in the pursuit of the elusive ticket.
Speaking after yesterday’s warm-up session, Poulsen, whose side has lost just a match this year, said his players were in the right frame of mind, looking forward to inflict pain on the home team.
“Everyone is psychologically motivated ahead of the match. I have full belief in my players and if we won by that margin in Dar, it is also possible to win here.
Mbwana Samata and Houssine Kharja currently carry the goal hopes of Tanzania and Morocco respectively, having both notched twice during the qualification process.
For Stars, the TP Mazembe duo of Samata and Thomas Ulimwengu are expected to lead the attack assisted by Mrisho Ngassa and Simon Msuva from the flanks.
Samata, the man at the centre of all the attention in Morocco, expressed his optimism that the Stars will carry the day.
“The team is highly charged for the match, I am confident that we will win on Saturday (today) because we know a lot about Morocco.
“That victory in Dar es Salaam inspires the team and hopefully I will be on the score sheet once again,” said Samata, who also urged for fans to pray for the team.
Hoping to keep their World Cup hopes back on track, Morocco head coach Rachid Taoussil has promised to help his team overcome Stars and turn their fortunes when they meet today.
Taoussil, who has been under pressure since the team’s 3-1 loss to Tanzania back in March, has said he has prepared the team well for the match. “We are going to use our home advantage to win this match,” Taoussil told The Citizen on Saturday.
He will look to his star players Youssef El Arabi, Adil Hermach, Younes Belhanda and Abderrazak Hamdallah.
