Do or die for Tanzania’s U-23 squad in re-match with South Sudan

(Photo: TFF)

The national U-23 team jetted out to Rwanda on Friday, with head coach Hemed Suleiman, nicknamed Morocco, noting that the frustrating goalless draw with their opponents at Azam Complex Stadium in Dar es Salaam in the first leg was behind them.

Suleiman stressed that the team was fully focused on picking a positive result in Rwanda.

The tactician, who started with the front two of Belgium-based Kelvin John, and Azam FC's Abdul Suleiman ‘Sopu’ now wants his charges to be ruthless in the reverse fixture.

Tanzania will need to at least either avoid a barren draw or get any victory to qualify for the second round.

“Each player will play his part to propel Tanzania into the next stage of the competition. We know that the second leg will not be easy but in football, anything is possible,” Suleiman said after the first game.

The team continued with their preparations at the Huye Stadium on Saturday evening and were scheduled to train again on Sunday afternoon for the final preparations ahead of the match.

The second leg is played in Rwanda because South Sudan does not have an approved stadium to host international games and thus chose to take their home game to Kigali.

The match is set to kick off at 5 pm EAT, with the winner set to face off with Nigeria in the second round, with the first leg set to be played between October 21-23 before the second leg to be held between October 28-30.

The third round of qualifiers is also in line and will determine which team graces the 2023 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations in Morocco.

The top three teams from the junior continental showpiece will gain automatic qualification to the 2024 Olympics which will take place in Paris, France.

Tanzania has never qualified for the U-23 AFCON which was first held in 2015.

In the last edition which was also dubbed Tokyo Olympics' qualifiers, Tanzania was bundled out of the competition by Burundi in the first round.