Tanzania will end the year in 156th position following the final FIFA Rankings of 2016 released in Zurich, Switzerland on December 22nd this year. Taifa Stars climbed four places up in the latest the global rankings with 154 points and recorded their worst position at the end of the year in a decade.
The nation has enjoyed a bad spell this year after keeping on a downward spiral, moving from 132nd place last December to the current 156th spot. November’s 160th position was lowest point since December 2005, when the country finished in 165th position. It’s worst ever position was 172nd in 2004.
Taifa Stars, currently under the tutelage of Charles Boniface Mkwasa, finish the year in 48th spot on continental ranking. The country’s football again suffered owing to the inability of the Taifa Stars to garner positive results in African Cup of Nations (AFCON) and World Cup qualifiers.
It was a belated start to the year after Taifa Stars beat Chad 1-0 away in Ndjamena on March 23, this year in Group G of the 2017 AFCON qualifier. KRC Genk striker, Mbwana Samatta scored the lone goal, results which somewhat revived the team’s hope of making it into the finals after almost four decades.
Tanzania has not qualified for the continental showpiece since 1980. It followed a 3-0 loss to Egypt in the group’s opening match away in Cairo in June 2015, before Stars were held to barren draw by Nigeria’s Super Eagles at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam in September 2015.
Then the worst came to haunt Stars after Chad withdrew from the qualifiers, citing financial constraints as their reason for pulling out. Former Cameroon captain Rigobert Song’s side were set to take on Taifa Stars in their return leg match on March 28 at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
By this decision, Taifa Star’s chances of making it to the bi- annual competition was already complicated because all the points obtained against the West African country in an away win were cancelled.
However, there was still a glimpse of hope in its campaign because they had two matches to play, while Egypt and Nigeria had only a game to play each.
Taifa Stars with just one point then and Nigeria with two points had their backs against the wall even more after Chad pulled out of the qualifiers, while Egypt were in pole position having seven points at the top of the standings.
And on June 4th, this year, Taifa Stars was targeting nothing else but a sweet revenge over Egyptians’ Pharaohs, when they played them host in the return leg of the qualifier at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
In a do or die fixture, Taifa Stars needed a 4-0 win to keep their dream of reaching the first ever AFCON finals alive. Disappointingly, Taifa Stars’ dreams of making it into the finals were shattered following a heartbreaking 2-0 defeat to group G leaders Egypt at home.
A brace from Egyptian professional Mohamed Salah guaranteed Egyptian Pharaohs a place to the 2017 AFCON Gabon finals next month. Egypt will return to the Africa Cup of Nations tournament for the first time since 2010.
The Pharaohs – who have won a record seven Nations Cup titles – only needed to avoid a heavy defeat in their final Group G clash, but they emphatically secured qualification with a clear win. Certainly, it was an ardous task for Stars against a team they have never beaten, let alone drawn against. The worst year for Stars was concluded by a defeat by Nigeria.
Manchester City forward Kelechi Iheanacho’s brilliant strike handed Coach Gernot Rohr a winning start in charge of the Super Eagles against the Taifa Stars. Rohr claimed his first win as Nigeria coach as his men saw off Taifa Stars 1-0 on September 4th, this year, at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, Nigeria.
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