Taifa Stars interim coach Hemed Suleiman said skipper Mbwana Samatta and Simon Msuva are still national team players though they have been omitted in the current squad summoned for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
The unmasked 23-man squad is set to enter in camp on Wednesday (August 28th) ready to begin drills ahead of hosting Ethiopia at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on September 4th.
Thereafter, the team will travel to play against Guinea on September 10th in a game slated to be played in Cote D'Ivoire.
Providing answers on why the two senior Taifa Stars players are not included in the current squad, Suleiman reiterated that they have personal issues they are sorting out and when they are fine, they will be recalled.
Can anyone of you know where Samatta or Msuva are at the moment...they are working on their issues and I talked to both of them as such, they will be recalled in our future matches because they are still national team players," Morocco said.
He also pointed out that their target is to qualify for the upcoming AFCON finals ahead of automatically making it to the 2027 edition of which Tanzania will host alongside Kenya and Uganda.
"We want to make it a consistent of qualifying for AFCON finals and in order to achieve that, we need to ensure that we have competent players capable to take us where we deserve.
"Personally, I believe we have the best squad that will propel us to achieve our target...all these players that have been grouped are ready to battle for their nation," Suleiman said.
Also, the return of center-back Dickson Job has attracted attention of many people as he was sidelined in many matches played by Taifa Stars.
The full squad has the following players: Goalkeepers are Ally Salim (Simba), Aboutwalib Mshery (Young Africans) and Yona Amos (Pamba Jiji).
Defenders: Lusajo Mwaikenda (Azam), Nathaniel Chilambo (Azam), Mohamed Hussein (Simba), Dickson Job (Yanga), Pascal Msindo (Azam), Ibrahim Bacca (Yanga), Bakari Mwamnyeto (Yanga), Nickson Kibabage (Yanga) and Novatus Dismas (Goztepe, Turkey).
Midfielders: Himid Mao (Talaal El Geisha, Egypt), Abdulmalik Zakaria (Mashujaa), Adolf Mtasigwa (Azam), Mudathir Yahya (Yanga), Hussein Semfuko (Coastal Union), Edwin Balua (Simba) and Feisal Salum (Azam).
Strikers: Wazir Junior (Dodoma Jiji), Cyprian Kachwele (Vancouver Whitecaps (Canada), Clement Mzize (Yanga) and Abel Josiah (TDS TFF Academy).
