After a lengthy and frustrating seven-year wait for the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup title, Tanzania Mainland’s national soccer team, Kilimanjaro Stars, have yet another chance to claim it when they compete in this year’s tournament.
Kilimanjaro
Stars, who last won the Challenge Cup in 2010, have been in Nairobi,
Kenya since Thursday for the regional tournament, which kicks off
tomorrow.
They will launch their campaign in the two-week championship against Libya in the Group A match tomorrow.
Analysts
have dubbed it a proverbial David versus Goliath battle, with our boys
being labelled underdogs who will need, if you listen to some of the
commentators, a miracle to avoid defeat.
Admittedly,
Libya boast a formidable squad as those who saw them during the 2018
African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifying matches can attest. They
are the only former champions in next year’s CHAN finals in Morocco, as
the Democratic Republic of Congo failed to qualify and Tunisia did not
compete in the qualifiers because of domestic football restructuring.
In
their way to the CHAN finals, Libya gunned down one of the Africa’s
football heavyweights, Algeria. They won the first leg match 2-1 in
Algeria while the return leg ended in a 1-1 draw.
But
the Tanzanian boys showed in the 2010 Challenge Cup that favourites tag
has little relevance when the game gets underway when, against all
predictions, they stunned Cote d’Ivoire 1-0 in the final at the National
Stadium.
Fortunately, determination and purpose have
been the hallmark of the team in camp this week for the Cecafa
tournament. We believe this is what it takes to shine in the
championship.
And, if our charges can compose
themselves, which they have been telling us they will, we are confident
they can stand toe-to-toe against Libya tomorrow.
They should ensure they are not consumed by an inferiority complex.
