Taifa Stars made a poor start to their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign after suffering a 2-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in a Group L match played at Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar on Friday evening.
Tanzania lost despite dominating large periods of the game, with Guinea-Bissau showing greater maturity in taking the chances that came their way to claim all three points.
Guinea-Bissau opened the scoring through Franculino Djú before Mama Baldé added a second to secure an important victory for his side.
For Stars, possession failed to produce the desired results, as the attacking line struggled to make the most of the opportunities it created in front of goal.
The result leaves Tanzania without a point at the start of the campaign, while Guinea-Bissau began with three points.
Nigeria Also Start with a Win
In the other Group L match, Nigeria defeated Madagascar 2-1 to begin their campaign with a victory.
Madagascar took the lead, but Nigeria fought back to equalise before scoring the winning goal in the second half.
As a result, after the opening matches, Guinea-Bissau and Nigeria lead the group with three points each. Guinea-Bissau sit top on goal difference, while Madagascar and Tanzania are yet to pick up a point.
However, for Tanzania, the standings do not determine their fight for an AFCON ticket because they have already qualified for the finals as co-hosts alongside Kenya and Uganda.
Therefore, the main qualification battle in the group is between Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria and Madagascar for the place available through the group.
Stars Now Face Madagascar
After opening their campaign with defeat to Guinea-Bissau, Stars now turn their attention to their second match against Madagascar, which is scheduled to be played in Morocco on September 29.
Madagascar will also enter the match looking for their first points after losing 2-1 to Nigeria.
That makes the encounter important for both teams. Madagascar will be looking for victory against Tanzania, while Stars will have the task of correcting the mistakes exposed in their opening match.
The other Group L fixture that day will see Guinea-Bissau face Nigeria, a match that could also begin to shape the teams at the top of the group.
Gamondi Has Work to Do on the Attack
The defeat in Zanzibar has raised several questions for Stars head coach Miguel Gamondi, particularly over how the team converts its possession into opportunities and goals.
Stars were able to dominate possession, but that was not enough to prevent Guinea-Bissau from securing victory.
Gamondi will have to ensure his team is more clinical in front of goal against Madagascar, giving Stars their first opportunity to correct what went wrong in the opening match.
The Journey Is Still Long
Despite the defeat to Guinea-Bissau, Tanzania is under no pressure to fight for an AFCON 2027 ticket because it is one of the co-hosts of the tournament. However, these matches remain highly important for Stars as part of their preparations for the finals.
Tanzania will face Nigeria twice in November before completing their group schedule with matches against Guinea-Bissau and Madagascar in March 2027.
For Gamondi, every match is an opportunity to further build the team and identify areas that need improvement ahead of AFCON 2027.
