Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: Taifa Stars head coach Hemed Suleiman has expressed confidence in his side’s readiness to secure a place in the quarter-finals of the ongoing CHAN 2024 tournament ahead of their Group B clash with Mauritania on Wednesday night.
Tanzania, buoyed by their opening 2-0 victory over Burkina Faso, will be aiming to become the first team in the group to reach six points, a mark that would all but guarantee a spot in the last eight.
“There’s great morale within the team. Our focus, both mentally and physically, is solid, and we want to maintain this momentum,” said Coach Suleiman, who praised the spirit within his squad ahead of the 8 pm kick-off at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole.
While admitting that his side lacked cutting edge in the final third during their first game, Suleiman believes the players are improving.
“We didn’t create many chances in our first match, and that’s something we’re working on. African football is tough, you don’t score four or five goals easily. But we want to increase our attacking threat,” he said.
He also hailed the support of Tanzanian fans, urging them to continue rallying behind the team. “The fans understood exactly what we needed last time, and we want to see that again. Let’s keep pushing, we want to give them joy and something to be proud of.”
Meanwhile, Mauritania come into the tie under pressure after a goalless draw against Madagascar in their opener. Anything short of a win could complicate their chances of progressing to the knockout stage in what remains a wide-open group.
In the earlier Group B fixture at 5 pm, Burkina Faso will face CHAN debutants Central African Republic (CAR) in a must-win encounter for both teams.
Burkina Faso, semi-finalists in the 2018 edition, suffered a 2-0 defeat to Tanzania in their opening match and will be seeking redemption. CAR, meanwhile, are making their first appearance at the tournament and are looking to build on their historic qualification.
The Central African Republic eliminated regional giants Cameroon in the qualifiers — bouncing back from a 0-1 home loss with a dramatic 2-1 away victory in Bafoussam, sealed by a late goal from Bertillon Arnold Yangana.
With Group B finely poised, all four teams have it all to play for as the battle for CHAN 2024 quarter-final slots intensifies.
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