Salum confident Tanzania will achieve minimum target at AFCON

Tanzania midfielder Feisal Salum is confident the national team will achieve targets they have set when they kick off their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

The East Africans will kick off their campaign against power house Nigeria in a Group C contest at Fez Stadium on Tuesday. The Azam midfielder believes Taifa Stars will build on their performance during the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) where they reached the knockout stages for the first time.

“Everyone is really motivated after what we did in CHAN. Those were very tough games and almost the same like an AFCON. This will definitely be tougher because we are competing against the best players in Africa from across the world,” Salum told CAFOnline.com.

Tanzania have to be ready to compete

“But, we have built on some incredible belief and fighting spirit from what we did in CHAN. AFCON is one of the biggest competitions in the world and a stage in which every player wants to shine.

“It is the same for us; we want to go out there and fight for our country. We have prepared very well and ready for what is ahead of us. We are in a very tough group but it is expected when you are playing at this level. We have to be ready to compete.”

On working under new coach Miguel Gamondi ahead of the AFCON, the midfielder said: “We have learnt a lot especially from Ivory Coast last time out. We need to give 100 percent in every game, there is very little room for mistakes and you must play with the highest standards of discipline.

“With these lessons, we want to do better and there is confidence in the group that we can achieve our minimum target. We have a very strong playing unit and an experienced coach in Gamondi and we believe these are the right ingredients for us to do well.”

As co-hosts, Tanzania reached the quarter finals of the CHAN tournament in August, losing out to eventual champions Morocco.