Taifa Stars and Chipolopolo will be playing their first game in Group D on Tuesday
Tanzania head coach Etienne Ndayiragije has stated his charges are ready to ‘burn their energy’ to stand a chance of getting a win against Zambia.
The two nations will be playing each other in Group D of the ongoing Chan tournament on Tuesday night. The Burundian has further revealed how his charges will approach the games in the biennial competition.
“The main target in this tournament is that we want to play each game like a final,” Ndayiragije said ahead of the game.
“Our target in the [Tuesday] game is to burn all our energy to try to reach and achieve what we know and believe.”
The team provided an update on the services of captain John Raphael Bocco who is nursing an injury. Defender Erasto Nyoni has joined the team giving the former Azam FC tactician options ahead of the Chipolopolo date.
“We have Nyoni and [Selemani] Matola with us, they have already joined the team in preparation for the game on Tuesday against Zambia,” TFF Communications Officer Clifford Dimbo told reporters.
“We are not sure about Bocco’s involvement, he has not been training with the team. We will wait for the doctor’s report before deciding whether he will be involved or not.”
In an earlier interview, custodian Juma Kaseja explained their preparedness to face Zambia at Limbe Omnisport Stadium.
The veteran keeper said they are determined to start the tournament on a winning note saying they have prepared well to take on the best in Africa.
“As the day to our first match approaches, the mentality of players is growing and we are all eager to feel the glimpse of playing in such a high profile football contest on the continent,” the experienced goalkeeper said.
“I believe that we are better poised to begin the competition positively by winning our encounter against Zambia which will help us a lot to boost our confidence prior to the follow-up matches.”
Kaseja also revealed his inspiration to the young players in the squad, insisting he has told them to feel proud of fighting for their country and take each game seriously.
“The competition is here and they need to prove to people that they can do it and I strongly trust in them to do the commendable job for our nation,” Kaseja continued.
“We just need to give them full backing and always aim to win the first game which will surely provide the way forward as far as the entire contest is concerned.”
