Confident Twigs Stars off to Asmara

THE national women’s soccer team, Twiga Stars, left yesterday for Asmara, Eritrea, beaming with confidence ahead of their preliminary African Cup of Nations qualifying duel against the hosts on Saturday.

The Secretary General of the National Sports Council (NSC), Leonard Thadeo, saw off the team at the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam. He challenged the players to fight their hearts out and overcome Eritrea.

“This is a rare opportunity that has been availed to you. You are our ambassadors and the whole country is behind you. We hope you will not let us down,” he said. Head coach, Charles Boniface Mkwasa, said shortly before their departure that nothing would stop them from snatching an away win to put themselves on course of sailing through to the first round.

“We are ready to fight but we also need your prayers and support,” he said. His skipper Sofia Mwaisiki said they were ready for the challenge. Players who left include Fatuma Eushiri, Fatuma Omari, Mwanaidi Yusuph, Purlkaria Chalaji, Mwapewa Mtumwa, Sophia Mwasikili (captain), Flora Kayanda, Asha Rashid, Mary Masatu, Mwanaidi Abdallah, Amina Mwinchumu and Mwanahamisi Omari.

Others are Neema Munishi, Fatuma Mustapha, Tina Victor, Nelly Fortunatus, Ester Chabruma and Fadhila Hamadi. Officials are Elizabeth Kalinga, who is head of the delegation, Furaha Francis, who is the team manager, Sufiani Juma, the team doctor and Mkwasa. Should Tanzania make it past the Horn of Africa side, they would come face to face with one of the African women’s football superpowers, Cameroon, in the first round between February 22 and 24.

Tanzania made their debut in the continental championship in 2002. They managed to eliminate Eritrea in the preliminary round, but lost 10-0 to Zimbabwe in the first round.
Tanzania made a second attempt two years later. After seeing off Eritrea in the preliminary rounds with a 3-2 aggregate win, they crushed to a humiliating 0-7 defeat at the hands of the mighty South Africans in the first round.