SOCCER: Msuva, Manula in Stars squad for Rwanda duel
Yanga forward Simon Msuva celebrates after scoring during a recent Vodacom Premier League match at the National Stadium. The forward is among the 26 players picked by Stars head coach Mart Nooij for the Rwanda friendly. Photo | Courtesy of Bin Zubeiry
What you need to know:
Nooij unveils a 26-member squad for Thursday’s friendly match against Rwanda at the Kirumba Stadium
Dar es Salaam. Simba’s fast-rising goalkeeper Peter Manyika heads a list of 21 players from the Mainland Premier League included in Taifa Stars’ second string squad for next week’s international friendly match against Rwanda’s Amavubi.
Coach Mart Nooij unveiled his 26-member squad for Thursday’s match at the CCM Kirumba Stadium in Mwanza yesterday, and also included striker Simon Msuva of Young Africans and Azam FC’s goalie Aishi Manula.
The match is part of the team’s preparations ahead of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers for home-based players.
The CHAN qualifying matches are expected to start in May and the finals will take place in Rwanda next year. Nooij’s squad, which also has little known but talented players from lower division clubs, including Bulyankulu FC and White Bird, will enter camp on Sunday.
Unveiling the squad yesterday, the Dutch coach voiced optimism that the team dubbed Stars Maboresho would not only silence the Amavubi, but also make a mark in the CHAN qualifiers. “Most of the players making up my squad are below 22 years, but they are talented enough to face any national soccer team,” he said.
“We want to give them more international exposure so that they can be included in the national senior team in the near future,” he added.
Nooij, whose major task is to guide the Stars to the 2016 CHAN finals, warned Rwanda that his team will give the Amavubi a run for their money in Thursday’s encounter.
Besides Manyika, Msuva and Manula, the other players in the squad with their respective clubs in bracket are: Goalkeeper Benedict Tinoco (Kagera Sugar), defenders Miraji Adam, Andrew Vincent (Mtibwa Sugar), Gadiel Mbaga (Azam), Emmanuel Semwanda (African Lyon) Joram Mgeveke (Mwadui), Salim Mbonde (Mtibwa Sugar) and Edward Charles (Young Africans).
Others are midfielders Salum Telela (Yanga), Adam Salamba (Bulyankulu FC), Hassan Banda, Mohammed Hussein, Said Makapu, Said Ndemla (Simba), Hussein Malombe (Geita Gold SC), Shiza Ramadhani (Mtibwa), Omar Nyenje (Ndanda FC), Hassan Dilunga (Yanga) and Alfred Masumbakenda (Bulyankulu SC).
Forwards are Aboubakar Mohammed (White Bird), Kelvin Friday (Azam FC), Atupele Mwaisemba and Rashid Mandawa (Kagera Sugar).
