Stars held in AFCON opener

DAR ES SALAAM: TAIFA Stars missed an opportunity to secure maximum points in Group H of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AF CON) qualifiers, after being held to a goalless draw by Ethiopia at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

As a result, both teams left the pitch with one point each from their opening fixture.

They will have another chance to secure a win in their upcoming matches.

The next Group H clash will see DR Congo face Guinea tomorrow at Stade des Martyrs in Kinshasa, promising another exciting encounter as the qualifiers intensify.

The first half of the match saw little goalmouth action, with both teams playing cautiously to avoid conceding early.

The game was largely confined to the midfield, with Ethiopia enjoying more possession and demonstrating good passing skills.

Despite their dominance, they failed to break through. Tanzania’s best chance came in the 28th minute when striker Clement Mzize’s header narrowly missed the target.

He was closely guarded by Ethiopian defender Bereket Waza, who prevented him from having a clear shot.

By the end of the first half, neither side had managed a shot on target, though Ethiopia had a slight edge with 57 per cent of possession compared to Tanzania’s 43 per cent.

Early in the second half, Feisal Salum’s precise header was saved by Ethiopia’s goalkeeper, Seid Aregawi, as the crowd held its breath, anticipating a breakthrough.

Substitute Pascal Msindo, who replaced Nickson Kibabage at halftime, added some creativity to Tanzania’s attack.

Despite their efforts, the opening goal remained elusive. In the 58th minute, Coach Hemed Suleiman made two more substitutions, bringing Mudathir Yahya and Waziri Junior on for Himid Mao and Edwin Balua.

Looking ahead, Tanzania will travel to Ivory Coast to face Guinea in their next Group H match at Charles Konan Banny Stadium on September 10th.

ALSOREAD: Coach optimistic Taifa Stars will edge out Ethiopia

Tanzania’s AFCON history includes their debut in 1980 in Nigeria, where they were placed in Group A with Nigeria, Egypt and Ivory Coast.

Their second appearance came in 2019 in Egypt, where they were in Group C with Algeria, Senegal and Kenya, finishing at the bottom of the group.

In 2023, Tanzania qualified again for the AFCON finals, held in Ivory Coast. They were placed in Group F with Morocco, DR Congo and Zambia.

Now, Tanzania is aiming for a fourth AFCON finals appearance, which will be hosted in Morocco.

The defending champions are currently Ivory Coast, and the competition is expected to be fierce.