Sensation midfielder Amri Kiemba has said reaching the 2014 Brazil World Cup finals was never a realistic target for the national soccer team, Taifa Stars.
Amri Kiemba
Instead, the in-form Simba midfielder revealed that Kim Poulsen’s side has targeted the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as an event to make an appearance at. “A place in the World Cup was not a realistic target for us.
The 2015 Africa Cup of Nations seems a realistic target for us,” Kiemba told the ‘Daily News’ yesterday. Kiemba conceded that Taifa Stars’ impressive results during the first half of the qualifying campaign had given Tanzanians hopes that the team could defy the odds and make a maiden World Cup appearance. “It looked like we stood a good chance but that is all gone now.
The way forward is to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations and everyone must put their weight behind it…that could give us the best possible chance,” he said. Any hopes of qualifying for the first ever World Cup come to an end when Taifa Stars conceded a 4-2 defeat at home at the hands of Africa’s top ranked side, Ivory Coast, at the National Stadium last Sunday.
A brace from Yaya Toure and a goal apiece by Lacina Traore and Wilfred Bonny killed off a strong opposition from a determined Poulsen’s team, which scored two fine goals through Kiemba and Thomas Ulimwengu.
The defeat, preceded by a 2-1 reverse away to Morocco, made all the difference as it was the one that made Ivory Coast the first team to progress to the final round. Kiemba said it was important they gave a good account of themselves despite suffering a heart-breaking defeat against the Elephants.
Kiemba, who hit a stunner against Morocco, was pleased to keep his sensational scoring form and attributed it to hard work, adding that he always tries to follow instructions from his coaches. The former Young Africans and Kagera Sugar midfielder rebuffed a suggestion that he has of late rediscovered his best form, saying people are now seeing the best of him because he is getting more chances to play.
“I think I have been playing at the same level all these years, it is only that my time has come … I have been called into the national team and given the chance to play, I thank God for that,” he said. “I just try to take a chance when it comes.
I do it in training and do exactly the same during games,” he said on scoring goals regularly from the midfield position. The qualifiers for the 2015 AFCON final, to be hosted by Morocco, will kick off in July next year and will include two phases — one preliminary phase (July/August) to reduce the engaged teams to 48 and a group phase made of 12 groups of 4 teams each, whereby the top team in each group as well as the best three runners-up will qualify to the final phase.
The group stage matches will be held during the double dates within the FIFA International Calendar of September, October and November 2014.
Source Tanzania Daily News
