Tanzania may be yet to record a win at the Africa Cup of Nations, but head coach Miguel Gamondi believes that could finally change when his side faces Nigeria at the 2025 AFCON in Morocco on Tuesday.
The Taifa Stars have appeared at three AFCON tournaments—1980, 2019 and 2023—playing nine matches without a single victory. Their Group C opener against the Super Eagles will mark their 10th game at the continental competition, as they continue their long search for a breakthrough result.
The match at the Complexe Sportif de Fès will be only the second AFCON meeting between Nigeria and Tanzania. Their first encounter came 45 years ago at the 1980 tournament in Nigeria, where the Super Eagles claimed a 3–1 win in the opening match.
Both teams last met during the qualifiers for the 2017 AFCON. Tanzania held Nigeria to a goalless draw in Dar es Salaam, before the Super Eagles secured a narrow 1–0 victory in the return leg in Uyo on September 3, 2016.
Speaking ahead of the game, Gamondi admitted Nigeria’s quality but insisted his players are dreaming of making history.
“It’s our dream, and nobody can stop us from believing,” he said. “If you don’t have a dream, it doesn’t make sense to sleep too much. I respect Nigeria a lot, but in football, anything is possible. We are here to give a good performance.”
The Argentine coach acknowledged the Super Eagles’ superior pedigree but stressed that his team is not approaching the game with fear.
“I’m very realistic about the possibilities. Maybe Nigeria have 99 per cent, but you never know,” he said. “I believe we can do something. If we manage to win, beating Nigeria would feel like winning the AFCON for us, especially at the start of the tournament.”
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After their opener against Nigeria, Tanzania will face Uganda on Friday before wrapping up their Group C campaign against Tunisia next Tuesday.
Tanzania made their AFCON debut in 1980, where they lost all three group matches, including the opening defeat to Nigeria, followed by losses to Egypt and Ivory Coast. They returned to the tournament in 2019 under former Super Eagles winger Emmanuel Amuneke but again exited without a win after defeats to Senegal, Kenya and Algeria.
At the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast, the Taifa Stars showed signs of improvement, earning draws against Zambia and DR Congo after losing their opening match to Morocco.
