TANZANIA’s senior national football team’s head coach, Hemed Suleiman, has credited his team's disciplined tactical approach for their hard-fought 1-0 victory over Mauritania in their second African Nations Championship (CHAN) Group B fixture in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday.

The win, a dramatic late-game effort at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, marks Taifa Stars' second consecutive triumph in the tournament, following their 2-0 win against Burkina Faso in the opener.

The match remained a tense, scoreless affair for much of the night, with both sides unable to break the deadlock.

It was not ntil the 89th minute that a moment of brilliance sealed the three points for the home side.

Veteran defender Shomari Kapombe made a well-timed run into the box, receiving a precise through ball from winger Iddy Selemani ‘Nado’ and calmly slotting it past Mauritania's goalkeeper, Abderrahmane Sarr, sending the home crowd into frenzy.

Suleiman acknowledged the difficulty of the match, noting that the Mauritanian side adopted a defensive approach that challenged his team from the start.

He praised his players' ability to adapt and the impact of his second-half substitutions, which he believes were key to changing the game's momentum and ultimately finding the winning goal.

Suleiman noted: “First of all, I want to thank the Tanzanian fans who created such an electric atmosphere during the match. It was a tough encounter.”

“We started the game with difficulty, and we knew Mauritania would sit deep, stay compact, and look to launch long balls forward,” Suleiman revealed. 

He continued: “It was a good match. Mauritania played defensively and used long passes, which made things hard for us. But our substitutions were successful. I think it was a tactical game, and we managed to win it.”

He added: “We’ll return to training and work on correcting our mistakes. We’ll also look at how to improve our attacking efficiency. Scoring is not easy when your opponent plays with six or seven players in defense.”

The tactician added: “We managed the first half well, and in the second half, we brought in some substitutes. Those changes allowed us to shift the tempo of the game.”

On securing another three points, he said: “The important thing is getting three points. We’ll fix our mistakes during training. Our main goal remains qualification to the next round, and hopefully our next game will be even better."

He noted: “We must attack as much as we can when facing defensive teams. This match was a tactical battle. Our players followed instructions and played exactly how I told them. I had warned them it would be a difficult match.”

Tanzania will face Madagascar in their final Group B fixture at the venue tomorrow, while Mauritania will need nothing less than a win against Burkina Faso to keep alive their hopes of qualifying.

Taifa Stars won 1-0.