Tanzania coach Hemed Suleiman - TFF Media.
Tanzania head coach Hemed Suleiman has shifted focus to their final group game of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying fixture against Guinea on Tuesday.
The Taifa Stars kept alive their hopes of qualifying for the tournament in Morocco following a 2-0 win against Ethiopia on Saturday. Simon Msuva opened the scoring for the Taifa Stars in the 15th minute, heading in from close range after a well-executed corner by Novatus Miroshi.
Tanzania continued to dominate proceedings, doubling their advantage in the 31st minute when Feisal Salum nodded home a precise cross from Shomari Kapombe. The win moved Tanzania to second place in Group H with seven points.
With DR Congo already qualified, the fight for the group’s second ticket to the AFCON remains wide open, adding further intrigue to the group’s final round of matches.
“We had a very good game, we were very comfortable in the entire game, we dominated the game, and should have won by a huge margin but we are satisfied with the outcome,” said Suleiman.
“Ethiopia is a good team, they are good technically and they tried to dominate the game but we worked hard to block their way, we created many chances but managed to use two and we there after controlled the game to come out with a win, it was important to get a win.
“A win is a win, we came here to win, we going back home with three points and now we focus on the final game against Guinea, it will not be easy against Guinea, we played them in the first round and beating them does not mean we are better than them.”
On what plans he has for the Guinea game, Suleiman said: “If we want to go to AFCON we must win the home game, we don’t have any choice so we want to make sure we win the home game against Guinea.”
“We will need to be at our best to beat them again, remember both teams are fighting for the AFCON ticket and so the game will not be easy, we must be ready to deliver, we must be prepared to get a win and I want to urge our fans to rally behind us, it will be at home and their support is what we need.”
Ethiopia, rooted to the bottom of the group with just one point, have been eliminated from contention. Despite their spirited attempts, the Walia Ibex were unable to break their winless streak in the qualifiers.
With one match remaining in the qualifiers, the Taifa Stars are now in a strong position to secure their place in the tournament.
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