Tanzania head coach Emmanuel Amuneke remains upbeat about the chances of his side scaling through the Group C hurdles at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations despite been pitted against former winners, Algeria, Senegal and East African rivals Kenya, reports Completesports.com.
The Taifa Stars are making a return to Africa’s greatest football competition after a 39-year absence.
They came second behind the Cranes of Uganda in Group L of the qualifiers and will need to be at their best to overcome Saido Mane’s Senegal and the star studded Algerian side.
However, Amuneke who won the AFCON title with Nigeria in 1994 remains adamant the Taifa Stars can compete with the big guns in the group.
“The draw is very interesting and you can see all the teams are strong,” Amuneke told reporters in Giza after the completion of the draw ceremony.
“We all want to go ahead with the tournament, so we will study the results of the draw and see how we will compete.
“Both (Senegal and Algeria) have long experience, but it is dangerous to bet on your previous experience in this tournament. Everyone has to play and do his utmost to overcome the obstacles they face.”
The Taifa Stars will open their campaign against Senegal on June 23 and then battle Kenya in their second group game four days later before facing Algeria on July 1.
By Adeboye Amosu
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