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Tanzania have qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations knockout stage for the first time in their history, ending a 45-year wait after fighting back to secure a 1-1 draw with Tunisia in Rabat on Tuesday.
The Taifa Stars, who made their AFCON debut in 1980, had never previously progressed beyond the group phase. Their resilience against Tunisia was enough to see them advance to the round of 16 as one of the best third-placed teams, despite still being without a single win across 12 AFCON matches.
Tunisia took the lead just before the interval when Ismael Gharbi converted a penalty, but Tanzania responded shortly after the restart through Feisal Salum, whose long-range strike caught the Tunisian goalkeeper out and restored parity.
Tunisia finished second in Group C with four points, trailing Nigeria by five after the Super Eagles completed a flawless group campaign. Tanzania edged Angola on goals scored to claim one of the four places allocated to third-placed sides.
In the group’s other fixture, Nigeria underlined their dominance by defeating Uganda 3-1 in Fes, despite the Cranes being reduced to 10 men. Raphael Onyedika struck twice as the West Africans maintained a perfect record heading into the knockout phase.
Tanzania will now face tournament hosts and favourites Morocco in Rabat on Sunday, while Tunisia are set to meet Mali a day earlier. Nigeria, meanwhile, will play the third-placed team from Group F on Monday in Fes.
Tanzania coach Miguel Gamondi, who took charge just last month, said the achievement represented a shift in mentality for the national side.
The Argentine-born coach said he was proud not only of the players but of the nation as a whole, adding that he wanted to challenge the long-held perception of Tanzania as underdogs on the continental stage.
Gamondi handed an AFCON debut to 33-year-old goalkeeper Hussein Masaranga, one of three changes following the draw with Uganda. Tunisia coach Sami Trabelsi, meanwhile, left captain Ferjani Sassi on the bench initially, later introducing the midfielder to earn his 100th international cap.
Tunisia enjoyed slightly more possession and threatened early, with Gharbi striking the post and narrowly missing with a long-range effort. Their breakthrough came in 43 minutes when VAR confirmed a foul by Ibrahim Hamad on Hazem Mastouri, allowing Gharbi to score from the spot.
Tanzania responded swiftly after the break, with Salum’s speculative effort from outside the area slipping into the bottom corner past Aymen Dahmen to spark celebrations among the travelling fans.
In Fes, Nigeria opened the scoring through a slick move finished by Paul Onuachu before Uganda’s hopes collapsed when goalkeeper Salim Magoola was sent off for handling outside his area. Onyedika then struck twice in quick succession, both goals created by Samuel Chukwueze.
Uganda managed a late consolation through Rogers Mato but exited the tournament at the bottom of the group. The Cranes will now turn their attention to preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which they will co-host alongside Kenya and Tanzania.
