The national soccer team, Taifa Stars, has pulled out of the forthcoming COSAFA Senior Challenge Cup 2013 to be held in Zambia from July 2-26, this year.
TFF General Secretary, Angetile Osiah
The Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) Secretary General Angetile Osiah told reporters in Dar es Salaam that the Stars, who had accepted invitation to participate at the championship, will not be able to make it for the event.
Osiah cited Taifa Stars’ participation in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers as the main reason why they opted not to participate in the tournament.
Tanzania have been scheduled to play Uganda in the first round of the CHAN qualifying campaign- -a tournament designated for domestic players.
Osiah said they had confirmed to send team at the COSAFA Cup believing that that Uganda would accept TFF’s request to reschedule their 2014 South Africa CHAN qualifying tie. But according to Osiah, FUFA rejected their request, saying the new date, which had been proposed by TFF, coincided with the federation’s general elections.
Taifa Stars will play to host their Ugandan counterparts in the first leg at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam between July 12 and 14, with the return match due in Kampala a fortnight later. Taifa Stars had been grouped alongside Namibia, Mauritius and Swaziland with the winner set to meet South Africa in the quarterfinals.
The Stars were scheduled to clash with Swaziland on 6th July in Lusaka before meeting Mauritius on the 8th July also in Lusaka. Taifa Stars were due to play their final group match against Namibia on the 10th July in Kabwe.
This would have been the second time Tanzania honoured the invitation to compete in the COSOFA tournament, after sending team in the 1996 edition hosted by Zimbabwe.
Commenting on his team’s withdrawal, Taifa Stars coach Kim Poulsen rued the missed opportunity to test his squad against mighty sides from the COSAFA region, nonetheless, suggested that for now the team was focused to performing well in the World Cup and 2015 AFCON qualifiers.
Source Tanzania Daily News
