Algeria vs Tanzania: Big match stats pack

Tanzania National Football Team (Taifa Stars) is set to play a friendly match with Algeria on March 22 in Bilda, Algeria.

The game will be used as preparation for both teams ahead of the 2019 African Cup of Nations qualifying matches.

Tanzania are in group L alongside Uganda, Lesotho and Cape Verde. Meanwhile, Algeria are in group D together with Togo, Benin and Gambia.

The last time these two teams met was in 2015 were Taifa Stars got hammered 7-0 in a World Cup qualifying second leg match. Stars was then coached by Charles Mkwasa. 

Taifa Stars squandered a two goal lead in a 2-2 draw in the first leg match played in Dar es Salaam four days before the destruction in Bilda, Algeria.

Head to Head record

This will be the tenth time the two teams are facing each other. The first time they met was in January 1973 in Algeria were Tanzania accepted a 4-2 defeat.

The only tie between the two which Taifa Stars won was in 1995 were Algeria received 2-1 defeat in Tanzania.

Generally, the two teams have met nine times, Algeria have won four times, defeated once and there are four draws between them. 

Players to watch

Algeria have a lot of talented players such as Riyad Mahrez, Yacen Brahimi, Islam Sliman who all got into the score sheet when the teams met last time and again they can make life difficult for the visitors this time around.  The Foxes have many players who ply their trade in key European leagues. 

Taifa Stars have Belgium KRC Genk’s striker Mbwana Samma and Morocco's Difaa El Jadid’s attacking midfielder Simon Msuva who can cause unrest into the host’s zone. 

Formation

Taifa Stars head coach Salum Mayanga likes to use different formations depending on the opponents. But most of the time when he plays away he likes to use 3-4-3 or 4-3-3 formations. 

Its unlikely that Taifa Stars are going to open up and attack the host rather they will sit deep and try to counter through their wing-backs or full-backs. But also they have players in the squad who have terrytfying speed such as Shiza Kichuya, Simon Msuva and even Mbwana Samatta.

Algeria defensive line has revealed plenty of holes during the World Cup qualifications, but this will be an easy task for the Foxes and their manager Rabah Madjah to deal with.

Predicted starting line-ups

Taifa Stars
Aishi Manula (GK), Shomari Kapombe (DF) Gadiel Michael (DF), Erasto Nyoni (DF), Abdi Banda (DF), Kelvin Yondani (DF), Himid Mao (MF), Mudathir Yahaya (MF), Shiza Kichuya (FW), Mbwana Samatta (FW), Simon Msuva (FW).

Algeria 

Rais M’bolhi (GK), Ramy Bensebain (DF), Aisa Mandi (DF), Saphir Taider (DF), Faouz Ghoulam (DF), Youcef Attal (MF), Nabil Bentleb (MF), Abdelraouf Bemguit (MF), Yacine Brahimi (FW), Riyad Mahrez (FW), El Arab Hilal Soudan (FW)