Tanzania eye 46-year revenge against Nigeria at AFCON finals

Tanzania eye 46-year revenge against Nigeria at AFCON finals

Tanzania’s national football team, Taifa Stars, will be chasing long-awaited revenge 46 years in the making when they face African giants Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals tomorrow at the Fez Stadium in Rabat.
It will mark only the second time the two sides meet in an AFCON group-stage fixture, coming 46 years after their first encounter.
Their previous meeting at this stage dates back to March 8, 1980, when the two teams clashed at the Lagos National Stadium in Surulere.
On that occasion, Nigeria emerged victorious with a 3–1 win, a result that still lingers in Tanzanian football history.
Since then, the two nations have not crossed paths in AFCON group-stage competition, although they have met several times in qualification campaigns for both AFCON and the FIFA World Cup.
Those encounters have largely favoured the West African powerhouse, with Taifa Stars still searching for their maiden victory over the Super Eagles.
Records indicate that Tanzania and Nigeria met twice during the 2017 Afcon qualification campaign.
The first leg, played on September 5, 2015, at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, ended in a goalless draw, offering hope to Tanzanian fans.
However, Nigeria claimed a narrow 1–0 victory in the return leg played on September 3, 2016, on home soil. The two sides also met twice during the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Taifa Stars managed a credible 1–1 draw away in Nigeria on December 6, 1980, before suffering a 2–0 defeat in the return leg at the National Stadium, now known as Uhuru Stadium, on December 20, 1980.
Overall, Tanzania and Nigeria have faced each other five times in all competitions. Nigeria have won three matches, while the other two ended in draws.
Taifa Stars are therefore yet to register a win against the African heavyweights, a statistic they will be eager to change in Morocco.