Rabat - In a historic moment for Tanzanian football, the Taifa Stars played out a 1-1 draw against Tunisia in their final Group C match at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco on Tuesday, December 30, 2025. This result marked the first time in 45 years that Tanzania has advanced to the knockout stage of the competition.
The match, held at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat, saw Tunisia take the lead just before halftime through an Ismael Gharbi penalty in the 43rd minute. The penalty was awarded after a VAR review determined that Ibrahim Hamad had fouled Hazem Mastouri in the box. Gharbi converted the spot-kick, giving Tunisia a 1-0 lead going into the break.
Tanzania, however, responded strongly in the second half. In the 54th minute, Feisal Salum unleashed a powerful, low shot from outside the box that beat Tunisian goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen, leveling the score. The goal was Salum's second international goal. Novatus Miroshi was credited with the assist, slipping the ball to Salum before the strike.
The remainder of the match saw both teams making substitutions and seemingly content with the draw. Tanzania, aware that a point could be enough to secure a spot as one of the best third-placed teams, managed the clock intelligently.
The draw secured Tunisia's qualification to the Round of 16 as the second-place team in Group C, behind Nigeria. Meanwhile, Tanzania's progression to the knockout stage was confirmed as one of the four best third-placed finishers, edging out Angola due to scoring more goals. Both teams finished with two points and a goal difference of minus one, but Tanzania had scored three goals to Angola's two.
This is the first time a team with just two points has advanced from the group stage since the expansion of the tournament to 24 teams in 2019. For Tanzania, it is the first time they have progressed past the group stage in their history, although they are still seeking their first win at the AFCON finals, with a record of five draws and seven defeats in 12 matches. Tanzania qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations for the fourth time since 1980 after winning against Guinea 1-0 on November 19, 2024.
Tanzania will face the host nation, Morocco, in Rabat on Sunday in the round of 16. Tunisia will play Mali in Casablanca on Saturday.
Miguel Gamondi, the Argentinian-born coach of Tanzania who replaced Hemed Suleiman last month, expressed his pride in the team's achievement. "I feel very proud, not just for myself, but for the country," Gamondi said. "I wanted to change this mentality of Tanzania always being underdogs". He also stated, "To qualify is great for Tanzania. I hope this success will be a reminder to these players and the next generation of players of the potential of Tanzanian football".
The match was officiated by referee Jean-Jacques Ndala. Novatus Miroshi was named the Flashscore Man of the Match.
