Stars host Zambia tonight with World Cup play-off hopes alive
Tanzania national football team (Taifa Stars) players during a training session ahead of today’s World Cup qualifier against Zambia at the New Amaan Complex in Zanzibar, with kickoff scheduled for 10pm. PHOTO | COURTESY
The encounter carries high stakes for Taifa Stars, who not only aim to finish their qualifying campaign on a positive note but also keep alive their slim hopes of advancing to the CAF World Cup play-offs
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s national football team, Taifa Stars, will tonight take on Zambia in their final Group E fixture of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers at the New Amaan Complex in Zanzibar, with kickoff scheduled for 10pm. Tanzanian time.
The encounter carries high stakes for Taifa Stars, who not only aim to finish their qualifying campaign on a positive note but also keep alive their slim hopes of advancing to the CAF World Cup play-offs.
Morocco have already secured qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, the first time in history that three nations will jointly stage the global showpiece.
However, Tanzania remain mathematically in contention for a play-off berth, depending on results from other groups.
Currently, Taifa Stars sit second in Group E with 10 points from seven matches, while Zambia occupy fourth place with six points from six games.
Niger are third with three points from two matches, and Congo Brazzaville are bottom without a point after one fixture. Congo Brazzaville will also host Morocco later today in another group encounter.
Head coach Hemed “Morocco” Suleiman expressed confidence in his squad’s readiness, noting that preparations have gone according to plan. “Everything is okay in camp; every player is eager and motivated to face Zambia. They are in good shape, and I believe we will come out with smiling faces,” he said.
Statistics show that the two nations have met nine times since 2009, with Taifa Stars winning twice, Zambia three times, and four matches ending in draws.
Tanzania claimed victory in their most recent meeting, a 1–0 win at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola on June 11 in the same qualification campaign. Taifa Stars’ mathematical route to the play-offs
Despite their position in the standings, Tanzania still have a mathematical chance of reaching the CAF World Cup play-offs.
This follows a CAF adjustment that will see six points deducted from all other runners-up teams to equalize the number of matches after Eritrea’s withdrawal reduced Group E to five teams instead of six.
The deduction creates a fairer comparison across all groups and keeps Tanzania’s hopes faintly alive, though much will depend on other teams dropping points in their remaining fixtures.
As things stand, Gabon lead the runners-up standings with 19 points, followed by Madagascar and DR Congo (16 each), Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Namibia, and Uganda (15 each), South Africa (14), and Tanzania (10).
According to the qualification format, the four best runners-up across all groups will progress to the CAF play-offs, which will determine Africa’s sole representative in the inter-confederation play-offs.
The inter-confederation stage will feature six teams, one each from AFC, CONMEBOL, and OFC, two from CONCACAF, and one from CAF. The four lowest-ranked teams will meet in two single-leg knockout games, with the winners facing the two highest-ranked teams for the final two World Cup slots.
