Tanzania arrive at the Africa Cup 2025 with determination and hunger for a first real breakthrough. Where past tournaments mainly served as learning experiences, this generation radiates the confidence of a team that knows its strengths: compact defending, quick transitions, opportunistic strikes through dynamic midfield runs and wingers breaking into space. Discipline, team chemistry and making the most of set pieces form the foundation. With their high intensity, early pressing and fearlessness in the closing stages, Tanzania could emerge as one of the tournament’s surprise packages.
- Nickname: The Taifa Stars
- Head coach: Hemed Morocco
- Football Association: Tanzania Football Federation
- AFCON appearances: 4 times
- FIFA ranking: 103
Tanzania’s Match Schedule
Tanzania has been drawn into Group C, alongside Nigeria, Tunisia and Uganda. Below is their full group stage schedule, including dates, times and venues. So you know exactly when to follow the Taifa Stars.
| 23 December | Group stage |
 Nigeria Tanzania | 2 1 |
| 27 December | Group stage |
 Uganda Tanzania | 1 1 |
| 30 December | Group stage |
Tanzania Tunisia | 1 1 |
| 4 January | Round of 16 |
 Morocco Tanzania | 1 0 |
Stats Tanzania AFCON 2025
Top scorer
| # | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Feisal Salum | 1 |
| 2. | Simon Msuva | 1 |
| 3. | Charles M’Mombwa | 1 |
Assists
| # | Player | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Novatus Miroshi | 2 |
Rating
| # | Player | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Zuberi Masudi | 7,3 |
| 2. | Ibrahim Hamad | 7,1 |
| 3. | Novatus Miroshi | 7,0 |
| 4. | Feisal Salum | 6,9 |
| 5. | Shomari Kapombe | 6,9 |
| 6. | Hussein Masalanga | 6,8 |
| 7. | Simon Msuva | 6,7 |
| 8. | Charles M’Mombwa | 6,6 |
| 9. | Dickson Job | 6,6 |
| 10. | Mohamed Husseini | 6,6 |
Tanzania Squad
Keepers:
Hussein Masalanga (Singida Black Star), Yakoub Suleiman (Simba SC), Zuberi Foba (Azam FC)
Defenders:
Haji Mnoga (Salford City), Ibrahim Hamad (Young Africans), Dickson Job (Young Africans), Pascal Msindo (Azam FC), Wilson Nangu (Simba SC), Mohamed Hussein (Young Africans), Lusajo Mwaikenda (Azam FC), Shomari Kapombe (Simba SC), Bakari Mwamnyeto (Young Africans), Nickson Kibabage (Singida Black Star)
Midfielders:
Feisal Salum (Azam FC), Morice Abraham (Simba SC), Yusuph Kagoma (Simba SC), Novatus Miroshi (Göztepe FC), Charles M’Mombwa (Floriana FC), Khalid Habibu (Singida Black Star), Alphonce Mabula (FC Shamakhi), Kelvin Nashon (Pamba JIJI FC)
Attackers:
Iddi Nado (Azam FC), Abdul Suleiman (Azam FC), Mbwana Samatta (Le Havre AC), Simon Msuva (Al-Talaba SC), Tarryn Allarakhia (Rochdale AFC), Kibu Denis (Simba SC), Kelvin John (Aalborg BK)
Head Coach Tanzania
Head coach Hemed Morocco brings an attacking mindset into the tournament. His style, built on creativity, quick transitions, and offensive energy, gave the team a clear boost during the qualifiers. Morocco knows how to motivate his players, relying on their intensity and team spirit to cause an upset at AFCON 2025.
Star Player Tanzania
Simon Msuva has grown from a local talent into an experienced goal scorer with spells across Africa and the Middle East. After breaking through at Young Africans (Tanzania), he moved abroad, representing clubs such as Difaâ El Jadida and Wydad AC in Morocco, as well as teams in Saudi Arabia and Algeria. Since 2024, he has played for Al-Talaba SC in Iraq. His honors include multiple league titles with Young Africans and a Moroccan Botola championship with Wydad AC, with that international club experience sharpening both his profile and his game.
For Tanzania, Msuva is an irreplaceable leader and often the go-to player in decisive moments. Renowned for his goal-scoring instinct, clever movement and ability to deliver when it matters most, he netted the crucial winner at home against Guinea (the goal that booked Tanzania’s ticket to AFCON 2025). He also consistently ranks among the nation’s top performers in both appearances and goals.
Tanzania AFCON History
For Tanzania, AFCON has long been about gaining experience. On their debut in 1980, the team showed glimpses of courage, but the gap with established nations was still too wide to challenge for honors. After nearly four decades away, the Taifa Stars returned in 2019. With a recognizable style of compact defending and lightning-fast transitions, they impressed again, though sustaining that intensity over three matches proved difficult.
By 2023, Tanzania had taken another step forward. The team looked more mature, with a clearer game plan and greater composure. While the group stage was once more the end of their journey, the experience gained laid the foundation for the future. Gradually, the Taifa Stars have evolved from debutants into a team with its own identity and the belief that a true breakthrough is closer than ever.
Road to AFCON 2025
Tanzania qualified through a disciplined, efficient campaign: finishing second in their group with 10 points and conceding only 4 goals, defensively bettered only by group winners DR Congo. After a strong start and an impressive away win in Guinea, a setback against DR Congo followed, but the Taifa Stars recovered at just the right moment. Two clean sheets in the final qualifying matches sealed their AFCON 2025 ticket. Notably, they scored just 5 goals in 6 matches, but their timing and organization proved decisive.
| Wednesday 4 September 2024 | |
Tanzania Ethiopia | 0 0 |
| Tuesday 10 September 2024 | |
 Guinea Tanzania | 1 2 |
| Thursday 10 October 2024 | |
 DR Congo Tanzania | 1 0 |
| Tuesday 15 October 2024 | |
| Tanzania DR Congo | 0 2 |
| Monday 11 November 2024 | |
| Ethiopia Tanzania | 0 2 |
| Tuesday 19 November 2024 | |
| Tanzania Guinea | 1 0 |
| Team | PTS | G | W | D | L | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Congo | 12 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | +4 |
| Tanzania | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | +1 |
| Guinea | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | +4 |
| Ethiopia | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -9 |
Stats
Top Scorers
| Player | Goals | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Feisal Salum | 2 |
| 2. | Simon Msuva | 2 |
| 3. | Mudathir Yahya | 1 |
Assists
| Player | Assists | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Waziri Junior | 1 |
| 2. | Novatus Miroshi | 1 |
| 3. | Mudathir Yahya | 1 |
Players Rating
| Player | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Simon Msuva | 7,6 |
| 2. | Aishi Manula | 7,5 |
| 3. | Novatus Miroshi | 7,3 |
| 4. | Shomari Kapombe | 7,3 |
| 5. | Ibrahim Hamad | 7,3 |
| 6. | Feisal Salum | 7,2 |
| 7. | Mohamed Husseini | 7,1 |
| 8. | Mudathir Yahya | 7,0 |
| 9. | Ally Salim Juma | 6.9 |
| 10. | Mbwana Ally Samatta | 6,9 |