Tanzania vs Tunisia: All or Nothing as the Taifa Stars and the Eagles of Carthage Face Off in a Decisive Showdown
by Thobelani Moyo | by Thobelani Moyo
There's still hope for the Taifa Stars to progress to the knockout stages
Tanzania might have failed to win their first two group stage games in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. However, the East African nation is well-positioned to secure one of the two automatic qualification stages required to progress to the knockout stages.
With one point accumulated, just two points separate them from second-placed Tunisia. Victory in this impending encounter could see them leapfrog their opponents in Group C.
The Taifa Stars are making their fourth appearance at AFCON and are still searching for their first win.
The Taifa Stars have often struggled against teams from Northern Africa, meaning this could hurt their chances of reaching the knockout stages for the first time in their history. Against teams from this bracket, all three encounters have ended in defeat, with their previous AFCON meeting against host nation Morocco ending in a 3-0 defeat.
Is this matchup the breakthrough they needed all along to stop the rot? Our SportyTrader betting experts hold a different view, however, as explained in our Tanzania vs Tunisia prediction.
Another worrying detail that needs attention is their performance in this tournament. Since making their debut in 1980, Miguel Angel Gamondi's men have yet to taste victory in their last 11 outings, recording four draws and seven losses.
Another unfavorable outcome in this impending encounter could see them enter the history books for bad reasons. Three nations have failed to win their first 12 matches in the Africa Cup of Nations, and the Taifa Stars are one match away from being another statistic in this category.
The Eagles of Carthage find themselves in a tricky position
Tunisia opened the tournament with a statement win over a hapless Uganda. Ellyes Skhiri broke the deadlock in the first ten minutes. That was enough to motivate Copenhagen's Elias Achouri to net a brace, which sealed the team's 3-1 victory at Rabat.
Instead of building on that result in the second group stage game against Nigeria, the Eagles of Carthage found themselves on the receiving end of a 3-2 defeat. After conceding three goals, they mounted a late comeback, but their efforts proved futile in the end.
The objective heading into their final group stage game (Group C) couldn't have been clearer: secure three points or a point and book their spot in the AFCON knockout stages for the 15th time in their history.
Failure to do so could see them finish at the bottom of the table. However, there is a factor to consider for that to happen, and that's if Uganda manages to beat Nigeria in their final group stage game. Finishing at the bottom means failing to reach the knockout stages, and on their part, that's the one thing they'll want to avoid.
One would have to look back to the previous edition for the last time they failed to progress beyond the group stages. You guessed it right; elimination from the group stages is going to mark the second successive tournament in which they have fallen short.
This marks their maiden AFCON encounter with Tanzania. However, they have met twice outside this tournament, and the Eagles of Carthage have a slight edge with one win in their last two meetings (D1). Can the North African nation maintain its unbeaten run in this fixture by clinching three valuable points that could see it book its spot in the Round of 16?
