Tanzania is looking to end their winless streak at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) against Nigeria today.
The Taifa Stars have played 9 matches without a win in the tournament, and their Group C opener against the Super Eagles marks their 10th AFCON game.
Tanzania’s head coach, Miguel Gamondi, expressed optimism about their chances, he said: “It’s our dream, and nobody can stop us from believing and dreaming,” Gamondi said during his pre-match press conference. “If you don’t have a dream, it doesn’t make sense to sleep too much. I respect Nigeria a lot, but in football anything is possible. We are here to make a good performance.”
The Argentine coach admitted Nigeria’s superior pedigree but insisted his side were not resigned to defeat.
“I’m very realistic about the possibilities. Maybe Nigeria have 99 per cent, but you never know,” he said. “I am confident we can do something. If we do what we need to do and are able to win, beating Nigeria would feel like winning the AFCON for us, especially at the start of the tournament.”
The two teams have only met once before at the AFCON, with Nigeria winning 3-1 in 1980. Their most recent meetings were during the 2017 AFCON qualifiers, with Nigeria winning 1-0 in Uyo and a goalless draw in Dar es Salaam.
The match is scheduled to kick off at 6:30 pm Nigerian time at the Complexe Sportif de Fès in Morocco.
