National soccer team, Taifa Stars head coach, Jan Poulsen has named 22 players who will make the squad scheduled to meet Palestine in an international friendly match at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday.
The squad comprises several new faces aimed at bolstering performance, while a few other players have made their way back after they were dropped in previous international assignments.
The players and their respective clubs in brackets are goalkeepers Shaaban Kado (Mtibwa Sugar), Juma Kaseja (Simba), defenders Shadrack Nsajigwa, Nadir Haroub, Chacha Marwa (Yanga), Juma Nyoso, Kelvin Yondani, Haruna Shamte, Juma Jabu (Simba) and Aggrey Morris (Azam FC).
Midfielders are Shaaban Nditi (Mtibwa Sugar), Nurdin Bakari, Godfrey Boniphace (Yanga), Jabir Aziz and Ramadhan Chombo (Azam FC) while strikers include John Bocco, Mrisho Ngassa (Azam FC), Mbwana Samatta, Musa Hassan, Mohamed Banka (Simba), Salum Machaku and Julius Mrope (Mtibwa Sugar).
“We will have training on Monday and Tuesday afternoon and then we will play the friendly the following day. It will be a good match for us and will offer useful build up,” said Poulsen.
He defended his decision to recall some of the players to the squad while dropping several others, saying he has focused on their current performances in the domestic league.
The Danish tactician hailed Palestine as good opponents considering that the latter have several professional players plying their trade in Egypt, Italy, Jordan and Spain, to name but a few.
He said the friendly match will so far be the only competitive build up before Taifa Stars meet the Central African Republic (CAR) in the first leg match of the 2012 African Nations Cup (AFCON) qualifiers in Dar es Salaam on March 26.
Meanwhile, the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) is expected to receive a bonus of US Dollars 300,000 from the world soccer governing body, FIFA, as part of the Financial Assistance Program (FAP).
TFF information officer Boniphace Wambura said yesterday the bonus has been presented by the FIFA executive committee following the success gained from the 2010 FIFA World Cup hosted by South Africa in which FIFA income experienced huge boost.
“TFF is one of the 207 FIFA members and the federation is therefore expected to receive the bonus later this year,” he said.
He said FIFA has directed all members to use the fund on football development in their respective areas and they should focus on youths, women, referees and coaches development programs.
“The funds also targets to help FIFA member countries to fully participate in various international competitions organized by the body. The funds will, for that matter, be used according to the directives,” said Wambura.
In another development, FIFA has appointed four Tanzanian referees to officiate the return leg match of the first round of the Olympic qualifiers, Africa Zone, between Algeria and Madagascar scheduled for April 10 in Antananarivo.
Wambura mentioned the referees as Oden Mbaga, who will be assisted by Hamis Chang’walu and John Kanyenye while Israel Mujuni will be the fourth official. Zambian Andre Mtine will be the match commissar.
