Durban, South Africa – Tanzania’s national football team, the Taifa Stars, signed off their COSAFA Cup campaign with a well-deserved 2-1 victory over Eswatini in their final Group B encounter, played on Tuesday afternoon in South Africa.
The win marks a positive end to Tanzania’s journey in the regional tournament, despite the team falling short of qualifying for the semi-finals. The Stars collected three points from two matches, following their narrow 1-0 defeat to Madagascar in the opening fixture.
Eswatini took an early lead in the 29th minute through midfielder A.J. Magagula, who capitalised on a defensive lapse to put his side ahead.
However, Tanzania responded strongly, with attacking midfielder Iddy Nado levelling the score in the 39th minute after a well-worked move in the final third.
In the second half, the Taifa Stars continued to press and were rewarded in the 69th minute when forward Khamis Khamis slotted home the winner, sealing a morale-boosting victory for the East African side.
Despite the result, it is Madagascar who progress to the semi-final stage from Group B, having collected four points from their two matches.
Speaking after the match, midfielder Ahmed ‘Pipino’ expressed gratitude for being named Man of the Match, praising both the technical bench and his teammates for their support.
“I’m truly honoured to receive this recognition. It was a team effort, and I thank the coaches and my fellow players for believing in me,” he said.
Tanzania will now shift focus to upcoming international assignments, with the COSAFA performance offering valuable lessons and opportunities for squad development.