Tanzania coach Miguel Gamondi reveals strategies to contain Nigeria’s attack, including Victor Osimhen, ahead of their 2025 AFCON Group C opener in Fez.

Tanzania coach Miguel Gamondi has outlined plans to curb Nigeria’s attacking threat ahead of their Group C opener at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, set for today at the Complexe Sportif de Fès.

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The clash will mark only the second AFCON meeting between Nigeria and Tanzania, 45 years after their first encounter in 1980 at the National Stadium, Lagos, where Nigeria won 3–1 en route to their maiden continental title.

Their most recent meetings occurred during qualification for the 2017 tournament, resulting in a goalless draw in Dar es Salaam and a 1–0 victory for Nigeria in Uyo on September 3, 2016.

Gamondi, who took charge of the Taifa Stars just a month before the tournament, acknowledged the challenge posed by Nigeria’s star-studded attack led by striker Victor Osimhen.

“We have tactical plans to try and neutralise Osimhen, but the collective importance is not only him,” Gamondi said at a pre-match press conference.

“You also have players like Chukwueze and Lookman. They move very well with the ball, so we must be aware of our positioning on the pitch. I’m not the type of coach who focuses on just one individual.”

He added, “The quality of the player defines the situation, and Osimhen is the reference point in Nigeria’s attack. But we also need to take care of players coming from the second line. That is the job we need to do.”

The Tanzanian coach emphasised that Nigeria’s strength across all departments demands near-perfect performance from his squad.

“When you see the quality Nigeria possess, you need to give more than 100 per cent. The smallest mistake can be punished by these types of players,” he said.

“Our mentality is to play, recover the ball and try to attack. If we can avoid mistakes, we can do something good.”

Gamondi will rely on the experience of captain Mbwana Samatta, who plays for PAOK in Greece, and forward Simon Msuva, the team’s most capped player, who returns after missing previous international windows.

A start on Tuesday would mark Msuva’s 100th international cap.

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Defender Mohamed Hussein and youngster Haji Mnoga, who plays for Aldershot Town, are also included to provide balance and stability in the squad.