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| Coach Mkwasa |
.Team to train in Turkey
. To play two friendly matches against Libya, Kuwait
NATIONAL soccer team, Taifa Stars head coach, Charles Boniface Mkwasa, has added ten players in his squad to prepare for the crunch 2017Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier battle against Nigeria’s Super Eagle on September 5 in Dar es Salaam.
Niajasportsxtra.blogspot.com gathered from a Dar es Salaam daily, that the summoned players are Said Mohamed, Vicent Andrew from Mtibwa Sugar, Mohamed Hussein, Ibrajim Ajib (Simba SC), Hamis Ali, Juma Mbwana (KMKM), Tumba Sued (Coastal Union), Samuel Kamuntu (JKT Ruvu), Ibrahim Hilka (Zimamoto– Zanzibar) and Mohamed Yusuf (Prisons).
They will join others who are already in camp to prepare for the match. Players in camp are Said Ndemla, Hassan Isihaka, Abdi Banda (Simba SC), Rashid Mandawa (Mwadui FC), Michael Aidan (Ruvu Shooting), Orgeness Mollel (Aspire Academy) and Abdulhaman Mbambi (Mafunzo).
According to a statement released by the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) Information and Media Officer, Baraka Kizuguto, the team is training twice a day at the Karume Memorial Stadium in Dar es Salaam under Mkwasa.
The objective is to identify a cream of players who will travel to Istanbul, Turkey for further drills ahead of a must win match against Sunday Oliseh’s men in fight for a place in the Gabon 2017 finals.
Mkwasa had to add new players to replace Young Africans and Azam FC players who have also been summoned in the team but are currently with their respective clubs preparing for Community Shield match set for August 22 at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam this year.
Both sides have deserted Dar es Salaam to separate destinations to start preparations for the showdown. Yanga are in Mbeya region where they have pitched camp, while Azam are in Zanzibar in readiness for the eagerly awaited clash.
Yanga and Azam Community Shield match will be the curtain raiser for the new 2015/16 season league, scheduled to kick off on September 12.
The league will involve 16 teams. Yanga and Azam players in the Taifa Stars squad are Ally Mustafa, Juma Abdul, Mwinyi Haji, Nadir Haroub, Kelvin Yondani, Salum Telela, Deus Kaseke and Saimon Msuva, all from Yanga.
Those from Azam are Aishi Manula, Shomari Kapombe, Himid Mao, Frank Domayo, Mudathir Yahya, Ramadhani Singano, Farid Musa, John Bocco and Ame Ally.
The team will stay together in Dar es Salaam for one week before departing for Istanbul, Turkey on August 23 this year, to set up a ten-day camp to prepare for their second match of the qualifiers.
In Turkey, Taifa Stars will play two friendly matches against Libya and Kuwait before returning back in the country to face the ‘Super Eagles’ of Nigeria.
Taifa Stars lost their first group match 3-0 to ‘Pharaohs’ of Egypt, forcing the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) to overhaul the team’s technical bench, whereby Dutch trainer Mart Nooij was replaced with Mkwasa.
Mkwasa named five foreign based players in his initial 29- man squad, to prepare for the match. Hassan Sembi from South Africa’s Santos FC and Adi Yussuf from Mansfield Town of England were named for the first time and will join Mrisho Ngasa from Free State of South Africa and TP Mazembe duo of Mbwana Samatta and Thomas Ulimwengu in the squad.
Youthful Orgenes Mollel from Aspire Africa camp in Senegal has also been included in the team that face a must win situation against Nigeria to revamp their hopes of making it to the 2017 AFCON finals.
