Tanzania Happy With Draw As CAR Celebrate First Point In CHAN 2024

Tanzania settled for a goalless draw against the Central African Republic (CAR) on Saturday night at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium — but for the Taifa Stars, the result was more about strategy than scoreline.

Having already secured qualification to the quarter-finals of the TotalEnergies CHAN Pamoja 2024, Tanzania used the match to rotate players and test combinations. Head coach Hemed Suleiman said his focus was on gaining experience, not necessarily collecting another win.

“We thank God for qualifying. We were already through to the next round, so this game was to learn and prepare for what lies ahead,” Suleiman said after the match. “It was a good lesson for us. I had said earlier CAR wouldn’t be easy, and they gave us a tough match.”

Though Tanzania lost their 100 percent record in the group, the coach said a draw was acceptable.

“Our goal was to reach the quarter-finals, and that is done. We created chances today but didn’t take them. Now we must improve our finishing for the next round,” he added.

The Taifa Stars, who were hoping for a perfect group stage run, finished top of Group B, and will now turn their focus to the knockout stages.

Meanwhile, the draw meant everything to the Central African Republic, who earned their first-ever point in the CHAN tournament. Head coach Sebastien Ngato praised his players for their spirit and said the result was a morale boost.

“Before the match, I told the players that losing was not an option,” Ngato said. “They defended our honor. To get a point against the hosts is a big achievement for us.”

Although CAR had already been eliminated from the tournament, Ngato said the result was historic.

“This is the first time CAR is playing at CHAN since independence, so getting a point means a lot. It has been a great year for us as our U-17 and U-20 teams also reached major finals,” he said.

Tanzania will now prepare for the quarter-finals, while CAR exit with pride after putting up a strong fight.