Tanzania 2- 0 Cape Verde: Samatta inspires Taifa Stars as Afcon hopes are kept alive

Sandile Ndumo

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Tanzania 2- 0 Cape Verde: Samatta inspires Taifa Stars as Afcon hopes are kept alive image

Tanzania gave their hopes of qualifying for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations a major boost when they dispatched Cape Verde 2-0 in  Dar-es-Salaam on Tuesday.

The two sides were meeting for the second time in three days after The Taifa Stars were humbled 3-0 by the Islanders on Saturday, 

But Emmanuel Amunike's charges signalled their intent from the onset at the at the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium and should have taken the lead as early as the 23rd minute after the referee awarded them a penalty, but skipper Mbwanna Samatta saw his cheeky attempt bounce off the upright. 

Fortunately for Tanzania, Samatta managed to quickly put behind the miss and managed to play Simon Msuva through for the 
 matches opener on the half-hour mark after to make it 1-0.

Cape Verde's attempt to find the equaliser went futile as Aishi Manula was in top form in the hosts' goals and managed to take a clean sheet to the clock rooms for the interval. 
 
The visitors continued their search for the equaliser with great intent early on in the second half but Manula and his defence stood firm once again.

The host would eventually manage to grab a caution goal against the run of play through a stunning Samatta finish, from a Mudathir Yahya assist in the 59th minute. 

Amunike's men would then hang on to claim all three points and move the bottom of Group L into second place with five points while Cape Verde are third with four points.

Group leaders, Uganda are in action against Lesotho other later on Tuesday and the result of that encounter is unlikely to affect the current standings. 

Sandile Ndumo