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Tanzania look to make the most of Madagascar clash
Tanzania forward Abdul Suleiman 'Sopu' (right) and fullback Shomary Kapombe celebrate a goal against Burkina Faso in a Group 'B' match of the 2024 African Nations Championship at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, Dar es Salaam on August 02, 2025.
What you need to know:
- After playing two matches, Taifa Stars are on top of Group 'B' with six points.
- Tanzania will be seeking to maintain their perfect run in the competition.
Hosts Tanzania will be out to boost their chances of qualifying for the quarter-final stage of the 2024 African Nations Championship (Chan) when they face Madagascar at the 60,000-seater Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on this (Saturday) evening.
The Group 'B' match will kick off at 8pm (East African Time). The match will be preceded by another Group ‘B’ encounter between Central African Republic (CAR) and Mauritania at the same venue from 5pm.
Kenya are co-hosting the 19-nation, biennial four-week football tournament with Uganda and Tanzania.
After playing two matches, Tanzania’s Taifa Stars top the group with six points, followed by Burkina Faso on three points from the same number of matches.
Madagascar are placed third with one point from one match, and Mauritania are fourth with one point from two matches, while CAR are placed bottom of the group with zero points from one match.
Against Madagascar, Tanzania will be seeking to maintain their perfect run in the competition, having won all their previous two matches.
Under the tutelage of experienced coach Hemed “Morocco” Suleiman, Tanzania began their campaign in the tournament with a 2-0 win over Burkina Faso on Friday last week.
Abdul Hamisi and Mohamed Hussein were on target for the hosts, who are making their third appearance in the tournament.
In their second Group ‘B’ match played on Wednesday, Tanzania defeated Mauritania 1-0 courtesy of Shomari Kapombe’s late strike.
Impressive display
Following Tanzania’s impressive display in the two matches, many have tipped them to progress to the quarter-final stage of the tournament. In both 2009 and 2020 editions of Chan, the Taifa Stars were eliminated at the group stage.
Madagascar are making their second appearance in Chan after their debut in 2022, when they emerged third. In their opening match of the campaign on Sunday last week, the Indian Ocean island nation battled to a barren draw with Mauritania despite being reduced to 10 men.
Forward John Christiano Razafimanana and Rakotondraibe Toky Niaina as some of the key players Madagascar are banking on for a good showing in the tournament. Razafimanana was instrumental in Madagascar’s qualification for the Chan finals as he scored in the crucial first leg against Eswatini. Known for his blistering speed, and clinical finish, Razafimanana is a constant threat to opposing defenders.
On the other hand, Niaina’s sharp finishing and form earned him a spot in the squad. He scored 13 goals for his club, Cosfa FC, helping them finish second in the league last season. While Tanzania are placed 107th in the global Fifa rankings, Madagascar lie 115th.
Against Mauritania, Burkina Faso will be aiming to build on their 4-2 win over CRA on Wednesday. Ranked 63rd by Fifa, Burkina Faso are making their fourth Chan appearances after competing in the 2014, 2018, and 2020 editions.
They have yet to progress past the group stage. Similarly, Mauritania who are ranked 110th are making their fourth appearance in the tournament.
Their best performance in the competition came in the 2022 edition held in Algeria where they reached the quarter-finals stage. Only the top two teams in all the four groups will progress to the quarter-finals stage.
