The president of Tanzania Football Federation, Leodegar Tenga, has urged soccer fraternity in the country to accord full cooperation to the new Taifa Stars coach, Jan Poulsen.
In a statement that heralds to seek calmness and patience should the team continue to flop in international matches, Tenga said to build a formidable side is not an overnight job.
He said the new coach should be given ample time to study and build up his own Taifa Stars which Tenga believes would be a new winning outfit.
Poulsen, who arrived in Dar es Salaam on Saturday night, has a torrid moment to endure as his first assignment is to lead Stars into an international friendly against Kenya in Dar es Salaam on August 11.
With time running out and deep obscurity to know the players, Poulsen banks heavily on mathematical permutations to cross the hurdle.
Winning public appraisal on his performance is what the new coach would seek to achieve.
Besides next week’s friendly international, Poulsen has the heaviest assignment of forming the team to compete and win the 2012 African Nations Cup qualifier berth kicking off next month.
Stars are paired in the same group with Central African Republic, Algeria and Morocco in home and away qualifier ties.
With an elusive East and Central African Challenge Cup kicking off in November, Poulsen faces a huge task of leading the Mainland team into its second title at home ground.
The elusive Challenge Cup was last won by the Mainland in 1994 under Syllersaid Mziray in Nairobi.
Ever since, no coach has managed to win the title, including Brazilian Marcio Maximo whose three time attempts ended in vain despite the massive home ground advantage thrown overboard during the 2008 edition.
Poulsen would be branded as a unique savior should he assemble a team to break the long-existed Challenge Cup title jinx.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
