Dar es Salaam. In a tournament co-hosted on home turf, Tanzania’s Taifa Stars have lit up the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) PAMOJA 2024 with a thrilling blend of relentless energy, technical flair, and unshakable determination.
Backed by the passionate roars of the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium faithful, the Taifa Stars became the very first team to secure a quarter-final berth sweeping through the group stage with three consecutive wins before even kicking a ball in their final group fixture.
Their campaign has been a textbook display of balance: rock-solid defending, intelligent midfield play, and ruthless execution in the final third.
It’s a combination that has not only reignited national pride but also made the dream of lifting a maiden continental crown feel tantalisingly real.
With nine points from three matches, five goals scored, and only one conceded, this Tanzanian side has shown steel in its backbone and artistry in its soul.
At the heart of it all? Five players whose brilliance has transformed promise into performance.
Feisal Salum Abdallah
Operating with the calm precision of a chess grandmaster, Feisal has been the creative heartbeat of Tanzania’s midfield.
Named TotalEnergies Man of the Match in the opening win over Burkina Faso, his vision and surgical passing repeatedly unlocked stubborn defences.
Whether under pressure or in open play, Feisal’s knack for spotting runs and delivering inch-perfect balls has been the launchpad for many of the Taifa Stars’ most dangerous moves.
He is the architect of this campaign’s attacking blueprint.
Shomari Salum Kapombe
A model of consistency at right-back, Kapombe has combined defensive solidity with match-defining contributions in attack.
His moment of glory came deep into stoppage time against Mauritania, when he kept his cool to slot home a dramatic winner sending the stadium into delirium.
Kapombe is proof that in modern football, full-backs are not just defenders but game-changers.
Mudathir Abbas Yahya
Every great team needs a player who dictates the rhythm, and Abbas Yahya has been that metronome.
His standout performance came in the second match against Mauritania, where his intelligent movement and quick one-touch passing kept Tanzania’s attacks flowing smoothly.
Awarded TotalEnergies Man of the Match, he has been the invisible hand controlling the pace, ensuring the Taifa Stars dictate not follow the tempo.
Clement Francis Mzize
Mzize’s brace against Madagascar was more than just two goals it was a statement.
Blessed with sharp instincts, explosive pace, and a cold-blooded eye for goal, he has been the focal point of Tanzania’s forward line.
In knockout football, goals are currency, and Mzize has been printing them when it matters most.
Iddi Selemani Alli
Explosive down the wings, Ali’s speed and trickery have been a nightmare for opposition defenders.
Capable of both stretching play wide and cutting inside to deliver killer passes, he has brought unpredictability and flair to Tanzania’s attack.
With him on either flank, full-backs are forced to spend more time guessing than defending.
A Dream Within Reach
As the knockout rounds loom, the synergy between these five standout performers and the rest of the squad fuels belief across the nation.
Tanzania have shown they can be disciplined at the back, inventive in the middle, and deadly up front qualities that define champions. The message is clear: the Taifa Stars are not content with just hosting CHAN they are on a mission to win it.
For a football-loving nation that has long awaited its moment on the continental stage, this could be the year history is written in bold letters.
