Tanzania National Football Team – History, Results, Players, Coaches and More

Tanzania national football team competes in men’s international football. It is under the control of the TFF (Tanzania Football Federation), the country’s governing body. Tanzania’s home stadium is the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium situated in Dar-es-Salaam; the team coach is a Danish man called Kim Poulsen. They are nick-named the Taifa Stars. Tanzania is yet to participate in a FIFA World Cup. Prior to joining Zanzibar, the squad was known as the Tanganyika nationaL team. It is a representative of the Confederation of African Football member (CAF) and FIFA.

The Zanzibar Island, a once independent itself and now a part of Tanzania, is a CAF member, playing matches against other countries, but cannot compete in the AFCON or the world cup. Zanzibar’s national football squad may be found here.

History of the Tanzania National Football Team

Tanzania national football team has struggled in both African and World Cup qualifications for about 40 years, the last qualifying in 1980 for the Africa Cup of Nations. The Taifa Stars put together their greatest performance in 2008 during the qualifiers of the Africa Cup of Nations, defeating Burkina Faso two times and finishing only three points adrift the group champions Senegal. The team became champions of the CECAFA Cup for the 3rd time in 2010.

A 1–0 triumph over South Africa in the COSAFA Cup 2017 Quarter-finals by the Tanzania national football team is the most recent accomplishment. Tanzania, however, fell 2–4 to the Zambian National team in the Semi-finals. Following that, Tanzania national football team defeated Lesotho in a penalty shootout with a score of 4-2 after extra time finished in a goalless stalemate in the third-place playoff. Tanzania’s third-place finish was the country’s most significant football accomplishment in decades.

Tanzania national football team defeated Uganda, their East African rivals 3–0 on March 24, 2019, to reach their first Africa Cup of Nations finals in over 39 years. The Taifa Stars, as the worst team in their group, lost all their three matches in Group C in the Finals, as expected. Tanzania qualified for the African Nations Championship for the 2nd time and defeated Burundi during the qualifiers of the 2022 World Cup a few months later.

Tanzania National Football Team Competitive Records

Tanzania National Football Team World Cup Records

• 1930 to 1974 – They did not participate in the competition
• 1974 – They failed to qualify
• 1978 – They withdrew
• 1982 and 1986 – Failed to qualify
• 1990 – They did not participate
• 1994 – They withdrew during the qualifiers
• 2002 – 2022 – Failed to qualify

Tanzania National Football Team AFCON Records

• 1957 to 1965 – Not associated with CAF
• 1968 – withdrew during qualifiers
• 1970 to 1978 – Failed to qualify
• 1980 – Finished 7th
• 1982 – They withdrew
• 1984 – Failed to qualify
• 1986 – withdrew during the qualifiers
• 1986 to 1992 – Failed to qualify
• 1994 – Withdrew during qualifiers
• 1996 to 2002 – Failed to qualify
• 2004 – Withdrew during qualifiers
• 2006 – 2017 – Failed to qualify
• 2019 – finished 24th
• 2021 – Failed to qualify

Tanzania National Football Team African Nations Championship Records

Tanzania National Football Team has participated twice. It first participated in 2009 where it exited during the group stage, followed by a long period of absence between 2011 and 2018 when it failed to qualify. The country qualified again for the 2020 tournament where it exited the competition at the group stage.

Tanzania National Football Team Recent Results and Fixtures

The recent match results of the Tanzania National Football Team are listed as follows:

2021

• March 15 – Lost 2-1 to Kenya in a friendly match
• March 25 – Lost 1-0 to Equatorial Guinea in the 2021 AFCONQ
• March 28 – Beat Libya 1- 0 in the 2021 AFCONQ
• June 13 – Beat Malawi 2-0 in a friendly
• September 2 – Drew 1-1 with Malawi in group J of the 2022 FIFA World cup qualifiers
• September 7 – Beat Madagascar 3-2 in group J of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers
• October 7 – Lost 1-0 to Benin in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers
• October 10 – Beat Benin 1-0 in the 2022 FIFA world Cup qualifiers
• November 11 – Lost 3-0 to DR Congo in the 2022 world cup qualifiers
• November 14 – Drew 1-1 with Madagascar in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers

Tanzania National Football Team Players

Current Squad

For the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF) matches, the following players have been called up.

• Matches will be held on November 11th and 14th, 2021.
• DR Congo and Madagascar are the main opponents.
• Caps and goals are up to date as of November 14th, following the match against Madagascar

Goal Keepers

Defenders

Midfielders

Fowards

Tanzania National Football Team Recent Call-Ups

Tanzania National Football Team Player records

Most Capped Players

Top Scorers

Tanzania National Football Team Coaches

1975 – Bert Trautmann (Germany)

1977 to 1979 – Geoff Hudson (England)

1979 to 1980 – Slawomir Wolk (Poland)

1980 to 1981 – Mohammed Msomali (Tanzania)

1981 – Rudi Gutendorf (Germany)

1987 – Joseph Bendera

1992 – Paul West

1993 – Sunday Kayuni (Tanzanian)

1995 to 1997 – Clovis de Oliveira (Brazilian)

1998 – Badru Hafidh (Tanzanian)

1998 – Sylersaid Mziray

2000 to 2002 – Burkhard pape (Germany)

2002 – James Siang’a (Kenyan)

2002 to 03 – Mshindo Msolla (Tanzanian)

2003 to 2006 – Badru Hafidh (Tanzanian)

2006 – Julio Ceasar Leal (Brazilian)

2006 to 2010 – Marcio Maximo (Brazillian)

2010 to 2012 – Jan Poulsen (Norwergian)

2012 to 2014 – Kim Poulsen (Norway)

2014, caretaker – Salum Madadi (Tanzanian)

2014 to 2015 – Mart Nooij (Netherlands)

2015 to 2017 – Charles Boniface Mkwasa (Tanzanian)

2017 to 2018 – Salum Mayanga (Tanzanian)

2018 to 2019 – Emmanuel Amunike (Nigeria)

2019 to 2021 – Etienne Ndayiragije

2021 to present – Kim Poulsen

Honors

CECAFA CUP

3x champions (2010, 1994,1974)

5x runners up (2002, 1992, 1981, 1980,1973)

Other Important Things to Know About the Tanzania National Football Team

• Tanzania national football team jersey – See the different variations worn by the team over the years on Google images.
• Tanzania women’s national football team – The Kilimanjaro Queens

For more articles related to Tanzania Sports, click here!