Tanzania Pulls Out Of Cosafa Cup

Tanzania has withdrawn from the forthcoming southern Africa football tournament, the Cosafa Cup, which takes place in Zambia between 6 and 20 July this year.

Tanzania’s Football Federation (TFF) Secretary General, Angetile Osiah, attributed the withdrawal to the Taifa Stars’ engagement in their CHAN qualifiers against Uganda.

CHAN is a Caf tournament that features home-based players and Tanzania is scheduled to play its home and away games against Uganda on 12 and 28 July.

“We asked Uganda to reschedule the games but they refused. We therefore have no option but to withdraw from Cosafa,” Osiah said.

Tanzania would have participated as a guest team in Zambia, where they had been drawn to face South Africa, Namibia, Mauritius and Seychelles.

Meanwhile, the TFF has extended Kim Poulsen’s contract as Taifa Stars coach for two more years following the team’s impressive run of good results.

Poulsen was first appointed a year ago to replace fellow Dane and namesake Jan Poulsen and has since guided the Taifa Stars through some famous wins including a 3-1 victory against Morocco in a World Cup qualifier in March this year.

The former youth coach is also credited with boosting the team’s world ranking from 145th position a year ago to 116th.

“He has done a good job of laying a strong foundation for success. He will continue to be in charge of our team,” the TFF boss Osiah said.

Tanzania are second in their 2014 Fifa World Cup qualifying Group behind Ivory Coast and have a chance of topping the group when they face Morocco on 8 June.