Dar es Salaam. Taifa Stars today face Madagascar in their second Group L Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027 qualifier, with coach Miguel Gamondi demanding greater efficiency after last Friday’s 2-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau.
The match will be played in Fez, Morocco, from 4pm Tanzania time, with Stars seeking to produce a stronger performance and improve their attacking output after failing to convert their opportunities in the opening fixture.
Tanzania lost to Guinea-Bissau at the New Amaan Complex in Zanzibar, while Madagascar also started their campaign with a defeat, going down 2-1 to Nigeria.
The opening results leave Guinea-Bissau top of Group L on three points with a plus-two goal difference, followed by Nigeria, also on three points with a plus-one difference. Madagascar are third without a point, while Tanzania are fourth with a minus-two goal difference.
However, Tanzania’s position carries a different significance because the country is already guaranteed a place at the 2027 AFCON finals as one of the co-hosts alongside Kenya and Uganda.
The highest-placed team among Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria and Madagascar will claim the additional qualification place from the group.
For Gamondi, though, the focus is firmly on improving Stars’ technical performance, particularly in front of goal.
The Argentine coach wants his players to make better use of the chances they create after their inability to convert opportunities contributed to the defeat against Guinea-Bissau.
‘The main task is to utilise well all the chances that my players will create,’ Gamondi said.
He stressed that possession and creating opportunities would have little value unless Stars can finish their attacking moves.
‘Football is not about saying you deserve it. It is about putting the ball in the net,’ he said.
The coach is therefore expected to demand greater composure and accuracy in the final third, while improving the connection between midfield and attack.
Stars will also need to be more decisive when transitioning from possession into attack, with quicker movement and better positioning required to create clear scoring opportunities.
The short turnaround has, however, limited the amount of time available for major tactical changes.
Gamondi said the team had little time to make significant adjustments after the Guinea-Bissau match, with the journey to Morocco adding to the physical demands on the players.