Israel Saria
The Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) has been challenged to look for a new coach that can make quicker, more pronounced progress with the national team.
Despite the teams relative success in the years since the government hired Brazilian coach Marcio Maximo, MP Hafidh Ali Tahir says,, it is time for a change.
The Dimani MP urged the government to look for a new coach that will ensure that Taifa Stars win more matches in the continent.
He said the team has done well in trials, winning almost all of them in the recent past, but it has failed to do similarly well in regional or continental tourneys.
“We understand where the Brazilian coach has brought the national team. But it is true that the team has failed to win most of the serious competitions such as CHAN and the World Cup qualifying matches. Our team needs a new coach that can take it further than where we are now,” Tahir said.
Tahir, who was making a contribution to the debate over the budget estimate for the Ministry of Information, Culture and Sports, also noted that the lack of good referees, mainly in the Tanzania Mainland, was another problem facing the national soccer body.
On his part, Minister for Information, Culture and Sports George Mkuchika defended Maximo, saying Tanzania was lagging behind in the Federation of International Football Association (Fifa) rankings and only managed to improve once the Brazilian coach took over.
“I’m wondering why some of you are making noise about Maximo – have we forgotten where we were before he took over the team? Taifa Stars under the coach and good leadership of TFF has made us proud,” Mkuchika said.
Meanwhile, Zanzibar may soon go ‘solo’ in the quest for representation in Fifa’s World Cup competition, the government has stated.
Following complains by politicians that sports is not included in the union matters, calling for Mainland and the isles to seek independent representation to the World Cup bid, Deputy Minister for Information, Culture and Sports Joel Bendera told Parliament that plans were underway for both countries to be represented independently.
He said the matter, which has spurred hot debate in the past, would soon come to an end once an agreement was reached, adding that the aim was to make sure Tanzania gets full representation in Fifa.
“The issue has reached a good stage as we have written to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) seeking their view on the matter.
What is left is just some short time and the matter will be over, and the isles will get what they deserve,” Bendera said.
Bendera was responding to Zubeir Ali Maulid (Kwamtipura, CCM) who when contributing on the Ministry’s Budget had wanted to know what the government was doing to see Zanzibar going it alone in World Cup qualifying competitions.
Maulid wondered why Tanzania was represented by just one team while United Kingdom (UK) was represented three teams in the World Cup – North Ireland, England and Scotland.
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