“Like a derby in East Africa” – Gamondi on Tanzania’s bid for first AFCON 2025 victory

Tanzania head coach Miguel Gamondi has revealed his thoughts following his team’s narrow 2-1 loss to Nigeria in their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 opener, Soccernet.ng reports.

Two goals from Semi Ajayi, from Alex Iwobi's lofty cross, and Ademola Lookman's powerful shot from the edge of the box secured all three points for Nigeria.

After the game, the former Young African boss revealed that the quality gap that the 2023 AFCON runners-up displayed against the Taifa Stars made the difference.

“I think it was a big learning for us. I’m proud of the performance of the team. If you look at the opponent, the quality gap between one team and the other is very big. But with tactical discipline, commitment and sometimes intelligence, we played a great game.” Speaking exclusively to Soccernet.ng, Gamondi said.

Gamondi Confident Despite Opening AFCON 2025 Loss

The Tanzanian coach remained optimistic despite the setback, revealing the team’s positive approach to the next challenge.

“I’m proud because I don’t like to park the bus and just play in defence. I like to be fair, and I think we did well. We could have got one point, but there’s no doubt the quality of the Nigerian players made the difference,” he noted.

On his team’s confidence heading into their next match against Uganda, Gamondi said:

“Very big, because we need to improve. The players need to believe in themselves. It will not be easy. It’s like a derby in East Africa for us, but we will try to improve and continue to progress. This growing doesn’t have a limit. The players must believe in that and hopefully we can win the next game.”

Watch Miguel Gamondi's comment here:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Soccernet (@soccernet_ng)

Step by Step: Qualification Hopes for Tanzania

With Uganda having lost 3-1 to Tunisia, Tanzania and Uganda will be eyeing their first win in Matchday Two of the AFCON campaign. Gamondi stressed the importance of focusing on each game individually:

“I go step by step. For me, the most important game is the next game. We’ll see.”

After a promising display against Nigeria, Tanzania will look to convert their lessons into a positive result against Uganda, while the Cranes will aim to bounce back after their defeat to Tunisia.