Tanzania strikers Mbwana Samatta and Simon Msuva.Goal Kenya.

Blow for Tanzania as Samatta and Msuva to miss Malawi friendly

Tanzania have confirmed the absences of their captain Mbwana Samatta and Simon Msuva for the international friendly against Malawi on Sunday.

The Taifa Stars will welcome the Flames at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium as part of their preparations for the upcoming World Cup qualifying matches against DR Congo, Benin, and Madagascar.

While the team’s technical bench was optimistic the two players will report to camp for the friendly, team manager Nadir Haroub has now confirmed Samatta who features for Fenerbahce in Turkey on loan from Aston Villa, and Msuva, who turns out for Wydad Casablanca of Morroco, will not be available for the fixture.

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According to Haroub, Samatta has family issues to take care of, while Msuva has a Caf Champions League engagement as his side Wydad is preparing to face Kaizer Chiefs in the semi-finals.

What has been said?

“We will not have Mbwana [Samatta] and Simon [Msuva] for the friendly against Malawi because the former is still sorting out family issues while Msuva has an engagement with his club back in Morocco,” Haroub told Goal.

Mbwana Samatta of Tanzania vs Libya in action.TFF.

Another player yet to report to camp is Novatus Dismas, who plays for Maccabi Tel Aviv-Israel, and according to Haroub they don’t know his whereabouts and have not heard from him.

“We don’t have any information regarding the absence of Novatus [Dismas], we don’t know where he is and why he has not joined the camp,” the former Taifa Stars defender continued.

Nkulula released from camp

Haroub also confirmed they had made one change to the squad by recalling Yohana Mkomola, who plays for Ukrainian side Inhulets Petrove to replace injured Braison Nkulula.

“The problem with Nkulula is that he joined the camp with an injury and after being examined by the doctors they concluded it was not good to risk him, they recommended he be released and we have allowed him to leave camp and he will be replaced by Mkomola.”

Malawi have already arrived in Tanzania for the friendly but they will also be minus their head coach Meck Mwase, who tested positive for Covid-19 as the team was planning to depart alongside his assistant Lovemore Fazili and defender Peter Cholopi.

Assistant coach Bob Mpinganjira will take charge of the team but will miss four key players namely captain Limbikani Mzava, vice-captain John Banda, Gerald Phiri Junior, and Francisco Madinga. Mzava and Phiri, who are injured while Banda and Madinga were excused due to club commitments.

Ahead of the friendly, Mwase had named a 22-man squad with Be-Forward Wanderers midfielder Vitumbiko Kumwenda, Nyasa Big Bullets defender Eric Kaonga and Scotland-based defender Kieran Ngwenya making their first trip with the Flames.

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