The lights will shine brightest in Dar es Salaam this Friday night as CHAN 2024 co-hosts Tanzania welcome tournament heavyweights Morocco in a high-stakes quarterfinal showdown at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium. Kick-off is set for 8PM EAT, with a charged home crowd expected to rally the Taifa Stars toward what could be their most memorable night yet on the CHAN stage.
Tanzania have been one of the most impressive sides in the tournament so far, topping Group B with an unbeaten run. They were also the first nation to book a quarterfinal ticket after winning their first three matches. A 2–0 opening win over Burkina Faso set the tone, followed by a 1–0 grind against Mauritania, and a thrilling 2–1 victory over Madagascar, with Yanga SC’s Clement Mzize bagging a match-winning double confirming historic quarters qualification with a game to spare.
A goalless draw with the Central African Republic in their final match was enough to cement top spot.
It’s been a campaign built on home strength, tactical maturity, and continental experience. With the spine of the squad drawn from local giants Yanga SC and Simba SC; two clubs with recent pedigree in CAF club competition, Tanzania’s cohesion and belief have been clear. Yanga reached the 2022/23 Confederation Cup final, while Simba followed suit in the 2024/25 edition, and that exposure has sharpened players for moments like this.
Beyond Mzize’s heroics, other contributors have stepped up. Simba’s Shomari Kapombe and Hussein Mohammed have chipped in with goals, while Azam’s Abdul Suleiman has also impressed with both a goal and an assist in the group phase.
It marks Tanzania’s third appearance at CHAN, but this is the first time they’ve reached the knockout stage. That breakthrough has ignited a wave of belief across the country. And for head coach Hemed Suleiman, belief is backed by thorough preparation.
“Thank you. We’ve been following Morocco for a while now ,they’ve played some really good football. You can’t just show up and expect to handle a team like that without studying them and doing your homework,” he said during the pre-match presser. “After our final group match against Central African Republic, we took time to analyze all our matches, correct the mistakes we made, and train hard over the past five days.”
“We respect Morocco, and I believe they respect us too. We’ve done well so far and picked up what we needed to get that crucial win in Tanzania. We’ll keep pushing to the very end and do everything we can to deliver victory for the country.”
But Morocco remains a formidable challenge. Despite finishing second in Group A, the Atlas Lions remain one of the most technically polished sides in the tournament. They opened their campaign with a 2–0 victory over Angola, suffered a narrow 1–0 loss to co-hosts Kenya, then bounced back emphatically with back-to-back 3–1 wins over DRC and Zambia to secure qualification. Only a point separated them from topping the group.
Boasting a squad laced with continental quality; including five players from Club World Cup participants Wydad Casablanca and another five from reigning CAF Confederation Cup champions RS Berkane, Morocco has shown depth and fluid attacking play. And it hasn’t gone unnoticed that RS Berkane’s triumph in the 2024/25 Confederation Cup came at the expense of Tanzanian giants Simba SC, a subplot that adds extra spice to this fixture.
Tanzania will have to keep a close eye on Berkane’s Oussama Lamlioui, one of the tournament’s top scorers with three goals. His movement and finishing have caused all sorts of problems for defenders throughout the group stage. However, Morocco will be without a few key names: Bouchaib El Arsi, Marouane El Ouedni, and influential defender Abdelhak Assal are all ruled out.
Still, Morocco’s head coach Tarik Sektioui struck a confident tone ahead of the tie. “We know this match is extremely important. It qualifies us for the semi-finals. We will overcome this stage, God willing, and live up to everyone’s expectations in Morocco.”
