Category: The Citizen

The East African Community (EAC) has operationalised its Regional Centre of Excellence in Virology, marking a major milestone in efforts to strengthen the region’s capacity for virus research, specialised laboratory training and disease surveillance.

The facility, hosted by the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) in Entebbe, Uganda, was officially launched on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, by Uganda’s Prime Minister, Ms Robinah Nabbanja, on behalf of President Yoweri Museveni.

The centre is expected to serve as the region’s leading hub for advanced virology research, laboratory diagnostics, scientific training, disease surveillance and knowledge sharing, enabling EAC partner states to better prepare for and respond to public health threats, including Ebola, Marburg and other emerging and re-emerging viral diseases. Launching the centre, Ms Nabbanja described the initiative as a significant step towards strengthening regional health security, saying East Africa must continue investing in scientific research and innovation to address evolving disease threats.

‘The world is changing rapidly, together with its health challenges. We have learnt that a nation capable of studying its own pathogens is a self-reliant nation. Uganda remains committed to increasing investment in research,’ she said.

The EAC Council of Ministers Chairperson, Ms Rebecca Kadaga, said the establishment of the centre came at a critical time when infectious diseases continued to pose serious risks across the region and beyond.

She said lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic demonstrated that diseases do not respect national borders, making regional cooperation essential in preventing and responding to outbreaks.

Ms Kadaga added that although EAC partner states had strengthened their laboratory systems in recent years, disparities in technical expertise, infrastructure and resources remained.

She said the new centre would bridge those gaps by promoting scientific collaboration, specialised training and the sharing of expertise among partner states.

Representing the EAC Secretary General, Deputy Secretary General for Infrastructure, Productive, Social and Political Sectors, Mr Ariik Malueth said the centre was among seven Regional Medical Diagnostic Centres of Excellence identified under the EAC Health Investment Priority Framework 2018-2028, approved by the 19th Summit of EAC Heads of State.

He said the centre would ensure specialised scientific knowledge developed in one partner state became a shared regional resource benefiting all East Africans.

‘Uganda’s selection reflects the Uganda Virus Research Institute’s internationally recognised expertise and decades of contribution to virus research, disease surveillance and outbreak response,’ he said.

UVRI Director, Prof Pontiano Kaleebu, said the institute was committed to supporting regional health security through cutting-edge virology research, specialised laboratory training, diagnostics, surveillance and scientific collaboration.

He noted that UVRI already played a regional role by confirming laboratory samples submitted by partner states before disease outbreaks were officially declared, ensuring public health decisions were guided by scientific evidence.

The operationalisation of the centre has been supported through the EAC Regional Network of Reference Laboratories for Communicable Diseases Project, with financial support from the German government through KfW and technical assistance from the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM).

Uganda’s KfW country director, Jan Alber, reaffirmed Germany’s commitment to supporting East Africa’s health security, saying stronger laboratory systems and scientific partnerships were essential for building resilient health systems capable of responding to future disease outbreaks.

The legal saga involving University of Dodoma (Udom) lecturer Melkisedeki Kaijage has taken a new turn after prosecutors upgraded his charge to terrorism.

Mr Kaijage has been in police custody since July 8, 2026, when he was initially arrested for allegedly inciting public protests, an offence for which he was denied bail.

In response, the University of Dodoma Academic Staff Association (Udomasa) filed an application seeking his release on bail, which was heard on Tuesday, July 21, 2026. Following the hearing regarding the July 7 incitement allegations, the court issued guidelines enabling Mr Kaijage to secure bail.

However, as defence lawyers and Udomasa officials processed the court judgment to execute his release, authorities substituted the charge.

Udomasa Chairman, Dr Gerald Shija, confirmed that the academic now faces a non-bailable terrorism charge and has been transferred from police custody to Isanga Prison.

‘Yesterday, we received information that Mr Kaijage was taken to court. Upon arrival, we discovered he had already been remanded on a new charge of terrorism,’ said Dr Shija.

The severe charge presents significant legal hurdles for his family and colleagues regarding bail eligibility.

Mr Kaijage is widely regarded among peers as a popular lecturer who maintains strong rapport with students, an influence colleagues attribute to his engaging teaching methods rather than political mobilisation.

Unguja. Zanzibar has stepped up efforts to strengthen early childhood development (ECD), describing investment in childcare, nutrition and early learning as critical to building a skilled and productive future workforce.

Second Vice President Hemed Suleiman Abdulla, representing President Hussein Ali Mwinyi, made the remarks yesterday during the launch of the Zanzibar Multisectoral Early Childhood Development Programme (ZMSECDP) 2026-2031 and the opening of the Stanbic Bank Tanzania-funded Mwanakwerekwe Early Childhood Development Centre.

He commended Stanbic Bank for supporting Zanzibar’s ECD agenda and called on other financial institutions and private sector players to support similar initiatives.

“We commend Stanbic Bank for this strategic investment and its continued support for socio-economic development not only in Zanzibar but across Tanzania,” Mr Abdulla said.

The Sh500 million facility, named the Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi Childcare Centre, is among the first projects under the Adopt an ECD Centre Initiative, a partnership involving the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, Stanbic Bank Tanzania and Save the Children International.

Located at Mwanakwerekwe Market, the centre will provide childcare, early learning, nutrition, healthcare and child protection services for up to 60 children daily, particularly benefiting traders and working parents. State Minister in the President’s Office and Acting Minister for Health, Dr Saada Mkuya Salum, said implementation of the five-year ZMSECDP programme will require Sh205.2 billion, to be mobilised through the government, development partners, civil society and the private sector.

Stanbic Bank Tanzania Chief Financial and Value Officer Derick Lugemala said the project was an investment in people and Zanzibar’s future rather than corporate philanthropy. He said the remaining Sh150 million from the bank’s Sh500 million commitment would support additional ECD centres across Zanzibar.

“The centre demonstrates what can be achieved when government, business and development partners unite to strengthen families, empower communities and unlock the potential of the next generation,” Mr Lugemala said.

The initiative aligns with Zanzibar Development Vision 2050, which identifies human capital development as a key driver of long-term socio-economic transformation.

A total of 258 patients diagnosed with conditions requiring surgery and specialised treatment during the Phase Three Medical Camp in Arusha will receive these services free of charge.

The announcement was made on Thursday, July 23, 2026, by Arusha Urban Member of Parliament Paul Makonda, who coordinated the initiative, stating that organisers will collaborate with stakeholders to cover all medical expenses.

During the camp held from July 13 to 21, 2026, 28,871 citizens accessed health services, with 258 identified as needing specialised referrals and surgery for serious conditions, including tumours, cancer, and cardiovascular ailments. Mr Makonda, who is also noted that most affected patients come from low-income families unable to afford procedures, prompting the organising committee to intervene.

‘Patients attended seeking diagnoses, only to learn they required complex, costly surgeries. It would be unjust to leave them without assistance,’ said Mr Makonda.

He assured that the committee will track each patient through the referral process until full recovery.

‘We will support them through this secondary phase of care to restore their health and enable them to resume economic activities,’ he added, appealing to health institutions and donors for support.

The camp engaged 520 healthcare providers, including medical specialists and super-specialists from across the country, alongside 200 support staff.

Screenings revealed high rates of non-communicable diseases: 6,030 individuals were diagnosed with hypertension, including 1,930 newly identified cases placed on immediate care.

Additionally, 6,297 people were screened for diabetes, with 554 diagnosed with elevated blood sugar levels and enrolled in treatment.

Mr Makonda urged men to prioritise routine prostate health checks, noting that participation remains low despite rising cases.

Services encompassed cardiology, oncology, paediatrics, gynaecology, orthopaedics, nephrology, and mental health care, alongside cervical and breast cancer screenings.

Surplus medical supplies valued at Sh89.88 million and Sh154 million in cash donations will be retained to sustain local services.

Arusha District Medical Officer, Dr Nindwa Maduhu, confirmed that the remaining supplies will be distributed to district health centres, with referrals commencing immediately.

Tanzania has reaffirmed the importance of its long-standing defence partnership with China, saying the cooperation has strengthened the country’s security capabilities through military training, technology transfer and capacity building.

Speaking during celebrations marking the 99th anniversary of the founding of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) at the Chinese Embassy on Tuesday, the Minister for Defence and National Service, Dr Rhimo Nyansaho, said the partnership had become a cornerstone of bilateral relations. He said defence cooperation between the two countries dates back to the era of Tanzania’s founding President, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, and China’s Chairman Mao Zedong, and has continued to grow under President Hassan and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Beyond defence, the relationship has expanded to education, health, infrastructure and other areas of development, he said.

Amne Suedi’s recent column in this paper, on whether Tanzania’s advocates can survive the mega-project era, raises a fair question about local content in legal services and then answers it unfairly. Her diagnosis is that bar leadership has, since 2017, poured its energy into confrontation with government over constitutional and political questions, and that this has come at the cost of enforcing the local-content rules that would put briefs and fees in Tanzanian lawyers’ hands.

A bar association, she argues, cannot be both government’s sharpest critic and its most persuasive partner in getting those rules enforced. Something has had to give, and for eleven years, she says, it has been the advocates themselves.

I read this with respect for the economic case she makes about legal services and local content. I read it with alarm for the constitutional case she leaves out. She has, in my view, misunderstood the entire issue.

She writes as though the Rule of Law is a separate line item from lawyers’ economic wellbeing, something the Society can trade off against local content enforcement as a matter of strategy. It is not separate. A bar that cannot speak against the erosion of the courts, against arbitrary arrest, against the hollowing out of constitutional guarantees, will not survive long enough to negotiate anyone’s fee schedule.

The right of lawyers to benefit from this country’s resources cannot be secured by lawyers who have first surrendered their core duty to defend the legal order those resources depend on.

A few questions Ms Suedi has not asked

Is what she calls a mistake a legal failing, or a failing of particular individuals inside government? Does she know that it was the sustained push by TLS and by individual advocates that helped carry Tanzania toward the entrenchment of a Bill of Rights in our Constitution? That did not happen because the profession sat quietly waiting for local-content regulations to be enforced. It happened because lawyers argued, litigated and, yes, confronted.

Has she asked why the First Phase Government attempted to abolish the Tanganyika Law Society altogether, through the Msekwa Commission, on the pretext that it was little more than a minority association? A government does not move to dissolve a professional body it experiences as a comfortable partner. It moves against a body it experiences as an obstacle to unchecked power.

That history did not happen by accident, and the Society’s survival of it is not incidental to the profession’s standing today.

Has she not seen that from the early 1970s, it was TLS and individual advocates who took up the killings of elders in the Lake Zone, at a time when doing so meant confronting entrenched local and political interests, and who helped force accountability where none had existed? Has she forgotten, or perhaps never learned, what role the Society and its members played in the fight for multipartyism and constitutional reform in the late 1980s and early 1990s, a fight fought against a one-party state that had no appetite for challenge? None of that was accommodating. All of it was confrontational, in the plain sense of the word. And none of it would have happened had the Society taken the posture she now recommends.

On who is actually squeezing the private sector

Ms Suedi asks why government has grown its own legal capacity at the private bar’s expense. Fair enough, ask it back: why is the military now in the beer business, running fuel stations, taking on construction contracts and competing directly with private contractors who pay taxes and carry the compliance burden the state does not? Was that crowding-out engineered by lawyers? What of tourism, where operators of every description move in and out of the sector with little apparent oversight? Is that also somehow the fault of a legal profession she accuses of being too combative?

On why disputes leave Tanzania

She notes, rightly, that the law requires natural resource disputes to be arbitrated inside the country, and that this is not happening in practice. She does not ask why. Our own courts are treated as adversarial to the state and to the status quo, and that reputation, deserved or not, is precisely why sophisticated parties structure their disputes to be heard elsewhere, at real cost in revenue and prestige to Tanzania’s own judicial system. And while we are asking uncomfortable questions: was the collapse of media houses in this country caused by a journalists’ association that dared to be critical of government?

The bottom line

Law is a business, but it is a business built on ethics and on principle. It is not the alcohol trade, where the most reliably profitable customer is the habitual drunkard, however much damage he does at home. A bar that measures its success only by how much work the state is willing to hand it has already sold the thing that makes it worth hiring.

A country genuinely committed to good governance is not frightened by constructive legal criticism. Holding government to the law it has itself enacted, including the local-content rules Ms Suedi rightly wants enforced, is not separate from defending the rule of law. It is the same work.

TLS advocates were not called to the Bar to appease power. I would ask Ms Suedi to read our history more thoroughly before she next writes on it, so that a good economic argument is not wasted in service of a conclusion the record does not support.

The cold season has brought a welcome boost for traders selling warm clothing in the Southern Highlands, with rising demand for sweaters, jackets, tracksuits and socks as residents seek protection from falling temperatures.

The regions of Iringa, Njombe and Mbeya have witnessed increased sales since the cold weather began earlier than usual in April and continued through July, creating a peak business period for traders dealing in winter wear.

In Iringa Municipality, traders said customer numbers have increased significantly as families purchase warm clothing for both children and adults. A trader at Magari Mabovu area, Neema Mhando, said this year’s cold season started earlier than previous years, when the lowest temperatures were usually experienced from June.

“Indeed, the cold season started in April 2026, much earlier than usual. We are now in the peak business period, although the cold is normally at its worst in June,” she said.

She said sweaters for children and adults are currently selling between Sh5,000 and Sh25,000 depending on quality, material and size.

Another trader, Juma Mkwawa, said demand for warm clothing is usually low during hot months, forcing traders to reduce prices to clear their stocks.

“A sweater that sells for Sh20,000 during the cold season can go for as little as Sh2,000 during warmer months,” he said.

However, traders said the current season has improved their earnings despite challenges such as rising transport costs and increased competition.

In Njombe, sellers of jackets, sweaters and socks also reported strong sales, with some saying prices have increased due to high demand.

Traders said jackets previously sold for about Sh15,000 are now fetching up to Sh25,000, while socks sell between Sh1,000 and Sh2,000. Thermal socks designed for colder weather cost between Sh4,500 and Sh5,500.

Jacket trader Sady Msemwa said the improved business had enabled him to increase his capital and save more money.

“I thank God because business is much better than before. I can now save money and increase my business capital,” he said.

Residents said the harsh cold weather had left them with no choice but to buy warmer clothes despite rising prices.

Rehema Kalinga, an Iringa resident, said she bought sweaters earlier than usual because temperatures had dropped more than expected.

In Mbeya, the cold season has created opportunities for traders, especially women selling second-hand jackets and traditional wraps known as vikoi.

Some traders move around busy areas in Mbeya City, including public spaces and entertainment venues, to market their products directly to customers.

Second-hand jackets and sweaters are selling between Sh15,000 and Sh35,000, depending on quality, while ordinary sweaters cost between Sh5,000 and Sh7,000.

Trader Sabina John said prices rise sharply between June and July as demand increases.

“From January to April, prices are usually low, but once June and July arrive, prices rise sharply because of the season,” she said.

She added that jackets sold in rural areas can fetch higher prices compared with urban markets due to increased demand and transport costs.

Meanwhile, health experts have advised residents to take precautions against cold-related illnesses.

Dr Fabian Mwasabwite of Sokoni Hospital in Iringa Municipality warned that children and the elderly were particularly vulnerable during cold weather due to weaker immune systems.

“Without proper protection, people can develop severe flu, coughs, fever and other respiratory illnesses,” he said, advising residents to wear warm clothing, especially during early mornings and at night.

Despite challenges facing traders, the cold season remains their most profitable period, with increased demand helping many expand their businesses.

In the dynamic landscape of global education, certain institutions emerge not just as providers of learning, but as pioneers reshaping how we perceive and access quality schooling. Smartious Homeschool Global stands as a testament to this evolution – a remarkable journey that began in the heart of East Africa and has since expanded its reach across continents.

This article traces the rise of Smartious, from its foundational vision through its strategic growth to its present-day commitment to delivering elite, personalised education to a global student body. The story of Smartious Homeschool Global is rooted in the personal observations of its founder, Alfred Ouko, a dedicated Mathematics and Physics teacher. In 2018, while still an undergraduate at the University of Nairobi, Alfred recognised a significant gap in the educational system.

He watched capable students fall behind in classrooms that couldn’t move at their pace – held back by rigid structures, location constraints, or scheduling conflicts.

What began as one-on-one home visits in Nairobi’s Parklands neighbourhood quickly evolved into a more structured approach. Alfred’s model focused on building genuine subject confidence rather than mere exam memorisation.

As demand grew, he recruited subject specialists, insisting every teacher hold a degree in their field – a standard that laid the groundwork for Smartious’s reputation for academic rigour.

Scaling the Vision: The Edtech Transformation

As the tutoring base grew through Alfred’s undergraduate years, Smartious recognised the potential of technology to widen access to quality education. The institution built its own Learning Management System – the virtual backbone that today enables live interactive sessions, recorded lesson libraries for flexible review, and adaptive tools like the Mshauri AI tutor, available to students 24/7.

This technological leap let Smartious significantly expand its curriculum offerings. Beyond its original tutoring focus, the school began delivering full programmes for internationally recognised qualifications: Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge A-Level, Pearson Edexcel, the International Baccalaureate Diploma, and the American High School Curriculum with Advanced Placement. Crucially, it also integrated the Kenya Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), serving both local and diaspora Kenyan families.

Global Expansion: Crossing Borders and Continents

Smartious’s growth trajectory soon transcended national borders. Its flexible, high-quality offering resonated with Kenyan and African diaspora families in the UAE, UK, USA, and Canada – families seeking curriculum continuity for their children through international relocations. This organic demand fuelled rapid global expansion, establishing Smartious as a genuinely international player.

Today, Smartious serves families across more than a dozen countries on five continents, with a strong presence in high-visibility hubs – from Nairobi (Kenya) and Dubai (UAE) to Johannesburg (South Africa), Seoul (South Korea), and Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam). This widespread footprint reflects Smartious’s ability to deliver consistent educational standards globally.

Smartious at a Glance

A few verifiable figures from the school’s own reporting help put its growth into perspective:

The story of Smartious Homeschool Global is rooted in the personal observations of its founder, Alfred Ouko, a dedicated Mathematics and Physics teacher. In 2018, while still an undergraduate at the University of Nairobi, Alfred recognised a significant gap in the educational system.

He watched capable students fall behind in classrooms that couldn’t move at their pace – held back by rigid structures, location constraints, or scheduling conflicts.

What began as one-on-one home visits in Nairobi’s Parklands neighbourhood quickly evolved into a more structured approach. Alfred’s model focused on building genuine subject confidence rather than mere exam memorisation.

As demand grew, he recruited subject specialists, insisting every teacher hold a degree in their field – a standard that laid the groundwork for Smartious’s reputation for academic rigour.

Scaling the Vision: The Edtech Transformation

As the tutoring base grew through Alfred’s undergraduate years, Smartious recognised the potential of technology to widen access to quality education. The institution built its own Learning Management System – the virtual backbone that today enables live interactive sessions, recorded lesson libraries for flexible review, and adaptive tools like the Mshauri AI tutor, available to students 24/7.

This technological leap let Smartious significantly expand its curriculum offerings. Beyond its original tutoring focus, the school began delivering full programmes for internationally recognised qualifications: Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge A-Level, Pearson Edexcel, the International Baccalaureate Diploma, and the American High School Curriculum with Advanced Placement. Crucially, it also integrated the Kenya Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), serving both local and diaspora Kenyan families.

Global Expansion: Crossing Borders and Continents

Smartious’s growth trajectory soon transcended national borders. Its flexible, high-quality offering resonated with Kenyan and African diaspora families in the UAE, UK, USA, and Canada – families seeking curriculum continuity for their children through international relocations. This organic demand fuelled rapid global expansion, establishing Smartious as a genuinely international player.

Today, Smartious serves families across more than a dozen countries on five continents, with a strong presence in high-visibility hubs – from Nairobi (Kenya) and Dubai (UAE) to Johannesburg (South Africa), Seoul (South Korea), and Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam). This widespread footprint reflects Smartious’s ability to deliver consistent educational standards globally.

Smartious at a Glance

A few verifiable figures from the school’s own reporting help put its growth into perspective:

The Court of Appeal has concluded a long-standing government house dispute between former senior police officers Suleimani Kova and Godfrey Nzowa, confirming that Mr Kova was qualified and entitled to purchase the house located in Sekei, Arusha.

However, the court gave Mr Nzowa victory on one point after setting aside the order requiring him to pay Mr Kova $200 per month, stating that the intermediate profits claim was not proved by sufficient evidence.

The decision was delivered on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, by a three-judge panel comprising Justices Gerald Ndika, Omar Othman Makungu, and Mustafa Ismail, in an appeal filed by Mr Nzowa against Mr Kova, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works, and the Attorney General. The judges decided, after reviewing 10 grounds raised by Mr Nzowa challenging the High Court judgment that gave Mr Kova victory in the ownership dispute.

The court stated that, except for the ground on the $200 monthly payment, the other grounds of Mr Nzowa’s appeal lacked merit and were dismissed.

How the dispute started

The dispute concerned a government house known as House Number 203 or 140, located on Plot Number 40, Block 3, Sekei, in Arusha.

Mr Kova and Mr Nzowa were police officers serving in similar positions before swapping duty stations in 2001.

Whilst Mr Nzowa was serving in Kigoma, Mr Kova was in Arusha.

After the transfer, Mr Nzowa moved to Arusha whilst Mr Kova was posted to Kigoma.

Mr Nzowa arrived in Arusha on January 1, 2002, and the handover took place on January 8, 2002, involving the government house occupied by Mr Kova.

When the government began selling some of its houses to public servants, Mr Nzowa claimed first right to buy the house as he had relocated to Arusha.

However, Mr Kova successfully bought and registered the house under his name, prompting Mr Nzowa to challenge the legality of the sale in court.

Process began in 2001

The Court of Appeal rejected Mr Nzowa’s contention that identifying eligible public servants began after the President’s speech on May 1, 2002.

The court stated evidence showed the process commenced in 2001 following Cabinet Circular Number 7, which ordered the listing of houses recommended for sale alongside public servants living in them.

Judges stated the President’s speech was the climax of implementing a decision already made by the government, not the start of the identification process.

On that basis, the court agreed Mr Kova was qualified to buy the house as he lived there during initial identification.

The court also rejected Mr Nzowa’s argument that Mr Kova submitted false occupancy information or that the sale agreement was void.

Mr Nzowa offered property in Kigoma

Mr Nzowa claimed he was never officially offered another government house at Heri Avenue in Kigoma.

However, the court established that documents showed he was offered the opportunity on June 17, 2002, and reminded on January 9 and October 4, 2004, before the offer was cancelled due to non-response.

Mr Nzowa secured victory on the $200 monthly payment. Mr Kova initially claimed $400 per month in lost rent due to Mr Nzowa’s continued stay, which the High Court reduced to $200.

The appellate court quashed the order, stating Mr Kova failed to provide evidence like tenancy agreements or market value documents.

The court confirmed Mr Kova’s purchase was valid and ordered each party to bear its own costs.

Tanzania’s senior women’s national football team, Twiga Stars, delivered another encouraging performance ahead of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after holding Ghana to a goalless draw in an international friendly in Morocco on Tuesday.

The result offers a timely confidence boost for coach Bakari Shime’s side as they complete their preparations for the continental showpiece, which kicks off on July 26 in Morocco. Tanzania will compete in a challenging Group B alongside defending champions South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso.

Twiga Stars produced a disciplined defensive display to frustrate one of Africa’s traditional powerhouses, with Ghana dominating possession but failing to find a breakthrough against Tanzania’s organised backline. The Black Queens controlled much of the match and dictated the tempo from the opening whistle, but they struggled to convert their superiority into meaningful scoring opportunities. Tanzania remained compact throughout the contest, limiting Ghana’s attacking options and forcing them to settle for efforts from less dangerous positions.

Whenever they regained possession, Twiga Stars looked dangerous on the counterattack, using their pace and teamwork to keep Ghana’s defence alert. Although neither side created many clear-cut chances, Tanzania’s defensive resilience ensured the match ended in a goalless stalemate.

The result provides valuable encouragement for Twiga Stars just days before their WAFCON campaign begins. Tanzania will open their Group B campaign against South Africa on July 27 before facing Burkina Faso on July 31 and concluding the group stage against Côte d’Ivoire on August 4.

For Ghana, the draw exposed the need for greater attacking efficiency despite their dominance in possession. The Black Queens will now turn their attention to Group D, where they are set to face Cape Verde, Cameroon and Mali in what is expected to be another competitive section.

Elsewhere, Côte d’Ivoire returned to winning ways with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Mali at the Berrechid Municipal Stadium, bouncing back from their recent defeat to Ghana.

The decisive moment came in the 42nd minute when GrSce Ruth Sery capitalised on a scoring opportunity, firing home the only goal of the match to hand the Elephants a morale-boosting victory.

Mali responded strongly after the break, applying sustained pressure in search of an equaliser, but Côte d’Ivoire defended resolutely to preserve their slender advantage until the final whistle.