Tanzania edge Senegal to win CECAFA pre-CHAN tournament crown
Tanzania’s Taifa Stars delivered a statement of intent ahead of the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024 with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over defending champions Senegal in the final match of the CECAFA pre-CHAN Tournament on Sunday.
The win, secured at the Black Rhino Academy grounds in Karatu, not only gave the hosts their second successive win but also ensured they topped the three-nation preparatory competition with six points.
Senegal took an early lead just eight minutes into the match through Mapathe Mbodj, who capitalised on a goalkeeping error by Hussein Masalanga.
The Taifa Stars shot-stopper failed to properly clear a dangerous cross, allowing Mbodj to head home and put the West Africans in front.
Unfazed by the early setback, Tanzania responded with a spirited attacking display that pinned Senegal in their own half for much of the remainder of the first period.
Despite several threatening chances, Senegal goalkeeper Mare Philips Arona Dioup was equal to the task, keeping the home side at bay with a string of fine saves.
Tanzania’s persistence finally paid off in the second half following tactical changes introduced by head coach Hemed Suleiman.
Substitute Abdul Hamsi brought the sides level from the penalty spot after Iddi Suleimani was brought down inside the box by a Senegalese defender.
Just four minutes later, Ibrahim Hamad found the net again for Tanzania, calmly slotting past the onrushing Dioup to complete the turnaround.
The Taifa Stars continued to dominate proceedings, while Senegal, seemingly rattled, defended deep and struggled to mount any real threat in the closing stages.
The result secured Tanzania’s top spot in the mini-tournament standings with two wins from two matches, having earlier edged Uganda Cranes 1-0 in the opener.
Uganda finished second with three points following their own 2-1 win over Senegal, who ended the competition without a point.
Tanzania coach Hemed Suleiman praised his players for their effort and performance across both matches but admitted there was still room for improvement.
“I am very proud of my players for the two wins,” Suleiman said. “We still need to improve on certain areas and also take our chances every time we create.”
Senegal head coach Souleymane Diallo chose to see the positives from the back-to-back losses, pointing to valuable lessons learned ahead of the main CHAN tournament.
“I am very happy that we came here and played these matches because now I know the changes I need to make,” said Diallo.
CECAFA Competitions Director Yusuf Mossi hailed the mini-tournament as a timely and beneficial preparatory platform, especially for the East and Central African sides.
“The mini-tournament has helped two CECAFA teams, Uganda and Tanzania, to gauge themselves better before the CHAN tournament,” Mossi stated.
The TotalEnergies CHAN 2024, a competition exclusively for players active in their domestic leagues, will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania from August 2 to 30, 2025.
The CECAFA zone will be represented by Uganda, Tanzania, Sudan and hosts Kenya, all hoping to leave a mark in the continental championship.
With this morale-boosting victory, Tanzania will head into the tournament with confidence, having taken the scalp of the reigning CHAN champions and shown they can compete with Africa’s best.