Tanzanian fans fired up for Gambia

Tanzanian fans have implored their team to rally themselves so they can bounce back from a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Ivory Coast in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers by overcoming Gambia.

The Taifa stars host the Scorpions in match day two of the 2014 Brazil World Cup, Group C’s tie at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

Hundreds of football fans turned up to witness the away side have their fast  walk out at the smaller Karumbeh stadium in the capital on Friday evening, and although Gambia being an unknown quantity to most them, the many home supporters who came to see the scorpions believe the Taifa stars will come up with a win no matter what.

One die heart Tanzania supporter by the name Omar told me “we believe our team will win on Sunday” asked why he is so confident of collecting the maximum points, the Taifa stars loyalist replied: “I am confident because we have appointed a new coach who we believe can do the job. Secondly, we’ve seen when we played in Ivory Coast we played well although we lost 2 nil”.

New man Kim Paulsen replaced fellow Dane Jan Paulsen who visited Banjul last year to lecture Gambian PE teachers on physical education.

A taxi driver also told me that the national stadium will be filled to capacity come on Sunday “we are going to come out and support our team, they are playing at home so we can’t lose especially after last week’s result but at the same we will give respect to the Gambians who we don’t know their style of play”.

For the Gambian side on the other hand, the head of delegation to Dar es Salaam, The deputy permanent sectary at the ministry of youth and sports Malang Jassey, said despite the delays in arriving in Tanzania due to flight connections at the Jomo Kenyatta Airport in Nairobi, the scorpions have enough time to gel and deliver the goods on Sunday. DPS also urged Gambians back home to remember the team in Prayers.

Coach Luciano Mancini and Captain Mustapha Toubabo Jarju as well as their Tanzanian counterparts will address journalists in Saturday’s pre match press conference ahead of the big game the following day.

Meanwhile, according to reports monitored on local media, Zimbabwean referee Ruvize Ruvize has been appointed the central referee for the weekend’s FIFA 2014 World Cup qualifier Tanzania vs. Gambia.