Twiga out to end Zimbabwe’s run

THE national women soccer team, ‘Twiga Stars’ today host Zimbabwe at Azam Complex to open their campaign for 2016 Women Africa Cup of Nations (AFWCON), qualifiers.

Twiga Stars will be at home at the Chamazi-based Complex in the outskirts of Dar es Salaam to face the Mighty Warriors of Zimbabwe in the first round of the AFWCON, which the Tanzanian ladies need to win to put themselves in favorable position.

The return leg will be played two weeks later on the weekend of March 18 or 20 in the Zimbabwean capital, Harare. Twiga Stars will be seeking to stamp their first win over Zimbabweans who seem to be superior than the Tanzanian women as evidenced through several encounters the two sides have met.

Zimbabweans have qualified for the African Women Championships three times in 2000, 2002 and 2004.

The two teams last met in the 2004 final qualifier and the Zimbabweans progressing through. They then met three times afterwards, including in the 2011 Cosafa Cup semi-final in Harare, with the Mighty Warriors conquering on all occasions.

The team, under the tutelage of head coach Nasra Juma, who took over after the former coach, Rogasian Kaijage who stepped down, is keen to end the Zimbabwean good show in the tournament to advance to the upper stage of the AFWCON qualifiers.

Ending the Zimbabwe’s unbeaten run in Tanzania is the match’s target, according to the coach. Zimbabwe who jetted in the country yesterday with a contingent of 29 people, including 20 players ready to face Twiga Stars have already declared that they will utilize the event as preps for the Rio Games and are confident they will qualify for the AFWCON to be hosted by Cameroon later this year.

The Might Warriors target should be seriously considered as a wake up call to Twiga Stars.

The team must enter the pitch focused and cautious to ensure they win the game by a good margin as to use the home ground to advantage as there will be thousands of supporters behind them.

If Twiga Stars manage to eliminate their opponents in the two leg encounter they will face the winner of Namibia and Zambia ‘Shepolopolo’ tie in mid-May in the final qualifying round of the event.

Seven teams from the qualifiers will join Cameroon from November 19 to December 3 for the tournament. Holders Nigeria, along with Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, South Africa and Ivory Coast, received first-round byes due to their high rankings.

Twiga Stars squad is made of Sophia Mwasikili (Captain) Fatuma Bushiri, Fatuma Omari, Mwajuma Abdallah, Asha Rashid, Mwanahamisi Omari, Etoe Mlenzi, Zena Khamis, Fatuma Khatib, Maimuna Said, Fadhila Hamad, Fatuma Mustafa and Evelyn Senkubo.

Others are Rukia Hamisi, Mwapewa Mtumwa, Judith Hassan, Aziza Mwadini, Sabai Yusuf, Semeni Abeid, Zena Said, Pulkeria Charaji, Tatu Said, Mwanaidi Hamisi, Hanifa Idd and Fatuma Gotagota.