Taifa Stars Assistant Coach Juma Mgunda has urged Tanzanians to be cool with their team saying they are still on the right track to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals to be played in Morocco.
He made the remarks on Saturday morning at Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) in Dar es Salaam shortly before the team's departure to Ivory Coast.
The country's envoys will face Guinea in their second group H fixture of the unfolding AFCON qualifiers at Charles Konan Banny Stadium in Ivory Coast on Tuesday.
"We are still better placed to make it to the AFCON finals next year despite recording a barren draw in our first match of the qualifiers against Ethiopia.
"It is true that some Tanzanians have already started giving up on us thinking that we cannot make a breakthrough but that is not right because there are many games we have to play.
"The most important thing is to pray for our team as we head to take on Guinea so that we should get a vital away win that will keep us moving in the race," he said.
Meanwhile, as it stands in group H, DR Congo tops with 3 points gained after producing a narrow 1-0 win over Guinea hence the latter will be cautious not to concede a second successive defeat in their next match.
Ethiopia and Tanzania both have one point they bagged following a goalless draw in their recent meeting at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.