Tanzania’s national women’s football team, Twiga Stars, are set for a decisive clash against Ethiopia tomorrow in Addis Ababa in the second leg of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) qualifiers.
Twiga Stars travel for the return leg carrying a 2–0 lead from the first match played in Dar es Salaam. This advantage means they only need a draw to secure qualification for the continental finals, while Ethiopia must win by at least three clear goals to overturn the deficit.
Speaking ahead of the crucial encounter, Head Coach Bakari Shime expressed optimism about his team’s readiness, saying the players have shown great focus and commitment in training.
“Our preparations have gone well. Yesterday, we focused on light recovery sessions to remove fatigue and adapt to the local weather conditions, which are quite different from Dar es Salaam,” said Shime.
“Today we will hold our final training session to refine our tactics and ensure the players are fully ready for tomorrow’s game.”he added
Team captain Opa Clement said morale in the camp is high and the players are determined to give their best performance to seal qualification.
“We are ready both physically and mentally. We know the task ahead and are committed to achieving our goal of reaching the WAFCON finals,” she said.
“We already have three points from the first leg, and our focus now is to follow the coach’s instructions and finish the job on the pitch.”he added
Clement added that the final training session will be used to review and perfect the team’s tactical approach.
“The coaches have done their part now it’s up to us to execute the plan and secure the result we need,” she emphasized.
A positive result tomorrow would see Twiga Stars book their place in the 2026 WAFCON finals, reaffirming Tanzania’s growing presence in women’s football across the continent.