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Tanzania coach Emmanuel Amunike has promised that the team that will turn out on Sunday from 7pm to play Senegal in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations Group C opening match at the 20 June Stadium in Cairo will be very different team from the one of 2015.
That team of four years ago was hammered 7-0 by Algeria in a World Cup qualifier match in Algiers.
“We have to compete with the best and we are ready to do so tomorrow (Sunday),” the Nigerian coach initially said in the team’s first official press conference in Cairo on Saturday.
“We are aware that Senegal are one of the strongest teams in Africa, individually and as a team. But I also believe if you are in such a tournament you have to believe in yourself. We have to be in a position to compete.”
And after several journalists talked about the hiding of 2015 Amunike came out guns blazing.
“There is no doubt about the quality of Algeria. We know we were hammered 7-0 three (sic) three years ago. But the Tanzania of that time is not the one of today,” Amunike said.
He went on praise star player Genk forward Mbwana Samatta saying he was privileged to work with him.
Samatta, the team captain, who has drawn interest from Marseille of France, was relishing the clash with Senegal.
“This is a challenge for us. I think we can challenge them,” he said.
Senegal are without star forward Sadio Mane who is suspended for this match but can look to strike choices in Keita Balde (Inter Milan), Mbaye Diagne (Galatasaray), Moussa Konate (Amiens), Mbaye Niang (Rennes) and Ismaila Sarr (Rennes).
Tanzania are appearing in the biennial continental showpiece for the first time in 39 years while Senegal have been regular campaigners, and in fact favourites to win, without ever lifting the African diadem.
Senegal and Tanzania have never met before in the African finals.
Kenya will face Algeria in the second match of the group from 11pm.
