- The Kenya versus Tanzania match is scheduled to start at 8:15 PM on Tuesday at the Gombani Stadium.
- Harambee Stars have collected a single point so far in the tournament that is being played in a round robin format.
- The winners of the 2025 Mapinduzi Cup will receive Ksh 6.25 million in prize money.
Harambee Stars and Tanzania are set to clash in an eagerly anticipated Mapinduzi Cup tie scheduled to be played at the Gombani Stadium in Zanzibar on Tuesday.
Kenya will be seeking to extend the good run that they have had over their East African neighbors in recent years, and put themselves a step closer to proceeding to the next round of the tournament.
However, history is expected not to play a huge role on Tuesday because Tanzania have shown huge improvement since the last time they played Kenya.
Unlike Harambee Stars, the Kilimanjaro Stars have booked a ticket to the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) showpiece that will kick off in December in Morocco.
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In addition, they have good players at the moment, especially those playing for successful clubs such as Simba, Yanga and Azam FC.
Abud Omar acknowledges Kilimanjaro Stars’ threat
Kenya’s captain Abud Omar is aware that the task will not be easy for them but he is upbeat that they will get the needed result.
“It will be a very hard game because it is between neighbouring countries, so there is a lot of competitiveness.
As players we know it will be a difficult match and all the teams that are taking part in this tournament are not easy to play against, especially tomorrow with Tanzania.
But, we have prepared ourselves well and we pray to God we get a win,” he stated during the pre-match press conference.
Francis Kimanzi’s take on the game
On his part, Harambee Stars interim head coach Francis Kimanzi expressed optimism that his charges will live up to the expectations that he has for them.
“It is for the players to make the tournament a success by doing their best, entertaining us because whatever we teach them, we want to see it on the pitch. So, it is for them tomorrow to have fun and give the tournament what it deserves.
It deserves a better show, with a lot of fair play, competition mentality that is what the tournament deserves,” he commented.
The experienced tactician added that he is impressed with the group of players that he is working with in Zanzibar.
Kenya vs Tanzania head-to-head record (all competitions)
Since 2019, Harambee Stars have triumphed over Tanzania in all their latest three encounters in all competitions.
The team secured a narrow 2-1 win in the most recent game between the two sides that was played on March 15, 2021.
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Harambee Stars’ goals were scored by Eric Kapaito and Abdalla Hassan in that friendly match that was staged at the Nyayo National Stadium with Ayub Lyanga netting Tanzania’s goal.
What is at stake?
Harambee Stars need to pick up the three points that will be on offer before their final match on Friday against hosts Zanzibar in order to stand a chance of making it to the final.
Kenya has amassed a single point so far in the competition thanks to their 1-1 draw with Burkina Faso while Tanzania are yet to pick up any point. The latter suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat in the hands of the hosts in their opening match.
According to the organizers, only the top two nations with the most points will proceed to the final that will be played on January 13.
The winners of this year’s edition are expected to receive Ksh 6.25 Million in prize money while the second and third place teams will bag Ksh 4.35 million and Ksh 3.1 million respectively.