Tanzania's head coach Hemed Suleiman praised his team's tactical play and resilience after a late 89th minute strike from Shomari Kapombe secured a hard fought 1-0 victory over Mauritania on Wednesday night.
The win elevated Taifa Stars to six points from two matches at the top of Group B in the 2024 African Nations Championships, bringing them closer to the knockout stages
"It was a match of tactics. Mauritania defended well and blocked the central channels, so we adapted by spreading the play wide. My players remained focused to the end of the match, which made the difference," said Suleiman moments after the final whistle at the packed Benjamin Mkapa stadium.
The clash started at a high tempo with Tanzania's Yasuph Kagoma earning an early yellow card in just the third minute for a reckless challenge, a caution that will see him suspended for the next match.
Both teams demonstrated solid defensive play, making clear scoring chances rare in the tightly contested first half which ended goalless.
At halftime, Suleiman made two crucial substitutions to inject fresh energy and creativity in the midfield
Nassor Hamoud and Ahmed Pipino replaced Abdul Suleiman and Yusuph Kagoma enabling Tanzania to control possession better and stretch Mauritanians defensive block.
Mauritania responded in the 69th minute with a triple substitution bringing on Cheikh Hattab, Abdallah Mahmoud and Sidi Ahmed El Abd in an attempt to regain midfield dominance and create more attacking opportunities.
Despite these changes, Tanzania's tactical shape remained intact anchored by a strong defense led by Kapombe.
The match remained goalless as it entered stoppage time, but the 89th minute, substitute striker Idd Nado made a dazzling runs down the right flank before cutting the ball back to Kapombe who calmly slotted the ball past Mauritanian goalkeeper to ignite jubilant celebrations from the home crowd
Kapombe's strike was enough to secure the victory and Tanzania added fresh legs with the introduction of defender Paschal Msindo on the dying minutes of the match
Mauritanians coach Aritz Lopez Garai expressed his frustrations after the loss, but paid tribute to Tanzanian quality and depth
"We defended well for 89 minutes, but one moment changed everything, Tanzania changed players and the level did not drop. They deserve to qualify for this group. We are now focused on fighting for second place" said Garai.
The tactician said his side had a some challenges including limited recovery time and some minor injuries in the squad
"We had one day less to recover compared to Tanzania and some players were carrying small knocks, it is a tough tournament but we will keep fighting" added Garai
Mauritania’s Sidi Touda was booked for dissent in the 90+2 minute while Tanzania's goalkeeper Yakoub Suleiman was cautioned for time wasting in the 90+4 minute
Tanzania's Midfielder Mudathir Yahya earned the man of the match award for his composure and influence in the middle of the park.
"I thank God, my teammates and coaches. We knew this match would be tough but we worked hard. Winning this match brings us closer to advancing to the next stage," said Yahya during the post match interview.
The victory adds to Tanzania's strong start to the tournament having opened their campaign with a convincing 2-0 win over Burkina Faso on August 2.
Earlier, Burkina Faso revived their own hopes of qualifying for the next stage with a 4-2 win over Central Africa Republic.
