AFCON 2019
Kenya vs Tanzania
30 June Air-Defence Stadium, Cairo
Thursday, 27-06-2019 @11pm
Kenya and Tanzania will clash at the 30 June Air-Defence Stadium on Thursday night in arguably the most important game for the two nations.
The two sides started their 2019 AFCON campaign with identical losses, losing 0-2 last Sunday.
This leaves them fighting for their lives with a loss for either, all but ending their participation at this year’s showpiece.
Kenya were disappointing in their loss to Algeria but will be confident they can bounce back with a victory over their East Africa neighbors, to whom they have lost only two of their past match-ups.
Kenya’s head coach Sebastien Migne assured that his side will do all they can to defeat Tanzania.
“Everything is possible. We have played Tanzania before. We will try and defeat them and then play the ‘final’ against Senegal.
“What we need to change going forward is our fighting spirit. We were afraid against Algeria. We refused to play.
“We are a team that can learn quickly. I don’t know if it’s an advantage for us to play our neighbours Tanzania, but I will give you an answer after the game.”
Kenya failed to get a shot on target as they fell to defeat in their opening clash of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations against Algeria and will have to do better if they are to take care of their rivals.
Against Algeria, they were poor for large spells and did not do enough with their share of the ball as Algeria looked threatening every time they got forward with Kenya needing to improve on both sides of the ball.
Kenya never looked like getting in to the game and after going in two goals behind at the break against Algeria, the game was over before half-time with Kenya coach Sebastien Migne likely to make changes with Francis Kahata’s place in the side in jeopardy.
For Tanzania, they suffered a similar fate in their opening match against Senegal.
Emmanuel Amunike’s men failed to find the back of the net throughout the ninety minutes and managed just three attempts at goal, none of which even came close to working the keeper.
The Taifa Stars side enjoyed less than 40% of possession with the ball and saw their opponents make twenty-four attempts at goal, out of which the latter successfully found the back of the net on two instances.
The squad trailed in both halves and was careless in their challenges, with four players ultimately picking up yellow cards.
Star striker Mbwana Samatta expects Tanzania to come to a standstill during the match and has every faith in the team’s coach Emmanuel Amunike to mastermind a victory.
“We’ve all been looking forward to this game for weeks. The streets in Tanzania will be empty. Everyone will be watching us,” Samatta is quoted as saying by Deutsche Welle.
“A victory [is the target], of course. We can do that. Amunike will give us some tips and we will beat them.”
Match Stats
This will be the first game between Kenya and Tanzania in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Kenya have won only seven percent of their Africa Cup of Nations games (1/15), the worst rate among the teams with at least 15 matches in the competition.
Tanzania are winless in their four games in the Africa Cup of Nations (D1, L3), conceding at least two goals in three of their four outings.
Kenya have failed to score in nine of their last 12 Africa Cup of Nations games (five goals).
Tanzania had three shots against Senegal in on matchday one (none of which were on target). Only Uganda against Egypt in 2017 have had fewer (two) in a single match since Opta began to analyse the competition in 2010.
The other group C game between Senegal and Algeria will be played at 8pm on Thursday.
Thursday’s other games
-Madagascar vs Burundi @5:30pm
-Senegal vs Algeria @8pm
Wednesday’s results
-Nigeria 1-0 Guinea
-Uganda 1-1 Zimbabwe
-Egypt 2-0 DR Congo
