Stars` `foreign` stars check in

Almost all of the Taifa Stars foreign-based players have checked in to join the national team camp for final training ahead of African Nations Cup qualifier tie against visiting Algerian side at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Saturday.

The Tanzania Football Federation’s information officer Boniface Wambura said so far the only player still connecting flights before arriving today is Nizar Khalfan who features for Vancouver Whitecaps of Canada.

Wambura mentioned those who have already joined the Jan Poulsen’s training camp at the Karume Memorial Stadium since Sunday include Vietnam-based duo of Abdi Kassim and Dan Mrwanda, TP Mazembe’s Mbwana Samata, Athuman Machupa (Sweden), Henry Joseph (Norway) and Idrisa Rajab (Kenya).

The match will be the fourth for Stars in their Group D after three others that produced paltry four points for the team. The clash against Algeria will be the return leg after the first one ended in a 1-1 draw on September 3 last year in Algeria.

With four points to their credit, Stars have no other option to survive in the qualifiers than to post a victory.

Algeria, terribly wounded by neighbours Morocco during their last meeting, will be a different outfit this time after replacing their beloved coach Rabar Saadane.

The entrance fee for the match as announced by the football federation will be between 3,000/- and 30,000/- from the blue to the VIP A stands.

Other intermediate entry fees announced by the organizers are 5,000/- and 7,000/- for orange stands, 10,000/- and 20,000/- for VIP C and B respectively.

The tickets are already on sale at various designated vendors in the city.

The match awaited encounter will certainly decide the home side’s fate in the qualifier series.

Morocco and Central African Republic will also be in action this weekend and their match is vital to highlight the group’s ratings in terms of qualification for the finals to be jointly hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea for the first time in the history of the biennial championship.

A defeat for Stars would certainly conclude the team’s end of the road and remain with a formality tie away to regular campaigners Morocco later in October.