Poulsen awaits Mazembe pair

Taifa Stars coach, Kim Poulsen

Tanzania national soccer team (Taifa Stars) coach Kim Poulsen says all of his players are in sound health and only TP Mazembe striking duo of Mbwana Samata and Thomas Ulimwengu are missing in his squad.

The duo were expected to arrive in Morocco yesterday to join their colleagues for ad hoc training sessions ahead of Saturday’s 2014 World Cup qualifier tie against the host nation.

Taifa Stars players who arrived in Marrakech on Monday were expected to kick start the training session to gear up for the crucial encounter.

The TP Mazembe duo would not join their colleagues who took a brief training stint in Addis Ababa and played a friendly international against Sudan that ended in barren draw last Sunday.

The Mazembe strikers were rendering services to their team that was playing a CAF Confederation Cup against a Mozambican side over the weekend in Maputo. The qualifier match is expected to kick off close to midnight hours.

Both national teams need to win the encounter so as to keep their World cup qualification hopes on track for the global football championship in Brazil.

So far the reception has been cordial according to Boniface Wambura and the players are up beat. Depending on how the match between Cote d’Ivoire and Gambia will end, Taifa Stars are supposed to work hard and shock again the Moroccans to ease qualification prospects.

Stars are second from the top of the standings table currently dominated by Cote d’Ivoire with a difference of one point.
The Ivorians remain the only team with unbeaten run after three qualifier games and a loss to Gambia will be a blessing in disguise for the Tanzanians should they post a victory on Saturday.

Five top-placed teams from ten qualifier groups will be involved in playoff to determine qualifiers for the World Cup in Brazil.

Morocco are regular qualifiers for the World Cup finals having featured for the first time in 1970. Tanzania is still searching for maiden appearance in the championship.