ABIDJAN - Factbox on Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers Tanzania.
Africa Cup of Nations record:
Previous appearances in finals: (2) 1980, 2019
Best performance: Group Phase
Drawn in Group F with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Morocco and Zambia.
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Coach: Adel Amrouche
Algerian-born but from Belgium, Amrouche has had previous stints as coach of six national teams in Equatorial Guinea, Burundi, Kenya, Libya, Botswana and Yemen, before being appointed to the Tanzania job in March. This will the first trip to the Cup of Nations finals for the 55-year-old, who moved to Belgium in 1994 and worked at Union Saint Gilloise as technical director. His first coaching job was with Kinshasa giants Daring Club Motema Pembe and he also had brief spells coaching in Ukraine and Azerbaijan.
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Key player: Mbwana Samatta. Age: 31. Forward.
Samatta’s tally of 23 goals was a major factor as Racing Genk won the league title in Belgium in 2019 and for the captain of the Tanzanian national team the 'Ebony Boot', handed out annually to the best African in the Belgian league. Samatta has already won the Confederation of African Football's award for the best African-based footballer, achieved in 2016 after helping TP Mazembe Englebert of the Democratic Republic of Congo win the Champions League. His exploits at Genk earned him a move to Aston Villa but he stayed only eights months before moving to Fenerbahce.
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FIFA world ranking December 2023: 121
How they qualified: Second placed team in Group F, behind Algeria but ahead of Uganda and Niger.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Beno Kakolanya (Singida Fountain Gate), Kwesi Kawawa (Karlslund), Aishi Manula (Simba)
Defenders: Abdi Banda (Richards Bay), Ibrahim Hamad (Young Africans), Mohamed Hussein (Simba), Dickson Job (Young Africans), Haji Mnoga (Aldershot Town), Lusajo Mwaikenda (Azam), Bakari Mwamnyeto (Young Africans), Novatus Miroshi (Shaktar Donetsk), Miano van den Bos (Villena), Abdulmalik Zakaria (Namungo)
Midfielders: Morice Abraham (Spartak Subotica), Tarryn Allarakhia (Wealdstone), Sospeter Bajana (Azam), Kibu Denis (Simba), Himid Mao (Tala’ea El Geish), Mohammed Sagaf (Boreham Wood), Feisal Salum (Azam), Mudathiri Yahya (Young Africans), Mzamiru Yassin (Simba)
Forwards: Cyprian Kachwele (Vancouver Whitecaps), Charles M’mombwa (Macarthur), Simon Msuva (JS Kabylie), Mbwana Samatta (PAOK Salonika), Ben Starkie (Ikestown Town). REUTERS
