AFCON 2025:’Tanzania has come out of the era of weakness,’ coach Suleiman warns Nigeria, Tunisia and Uganda

Acting head coach of Tanzania, Hemed ‘Morocco’ Suleiman has warned their Africa Cup of Nations’ Group C foes that the Taifa Stars have come out of the era of weaknesses and has assured fans the team is focused on competing at the highest level, not merely participating.

The Tanzanians will begin their opening Group C campaign against the Super Eagles of Nigeria like they did 45 years ago (March 1980) when they lost 3-1 to the Nigerians at the National stadium in Surulere, Lagos.

The coach says the Taifa Stars of today are different from the ones of yesterday and urged Tanzanians to believe in the team’s capabilities.

‘Tanzania has come out of the era of weakness. We need to believe in ourselves as a nation that we can achieve great things. In previous years, we participated as escorts, but things are different now.

‘In the last AFCON finals, we managed to secure points in the group stage. This time, our goal is to compete for one of the top two spots in the group to progress further,’ he said in a report in the Guardian of Tanzania.

Suleiman revealed the team, especially the technical crew has gone to work on their Group C foes immediately after the draws on Monday night in Morocco.

‘The group has a mix of teams, and we must organize ourselves accordingly. As coaches, we have the responsibility to study all our opponents in depth.

‘Beyond that, we will hold preparatory meetings with TFF and government leaders. Proper planning and execution are crucial to our success. If we do this on a large scale, nothing is impossible for us.

‘This time, the team’s goal is clear: to go beyond the group stage and make a significant mark on the tournament,’ he was also quoted to have said by the newspaper.