Tanzanian skipper Mbwana Samatta has blamed match officials for denying him a clear penalty against Equatorial Guinea in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The Taifa Stars produced another impressive comeback in the second half of their Group J match after scoring two goals to shrug off a 1-0 lead, which was enjoyed by the visitors throughout the first half.
It was Simon Msuva whose solo effort saw him netting an equaliser in the 68th minute to level matters, after the former West Ham midfielder Pedro Obiang’s 15th-minute long-range strike gave the National Thunders an early lead.
However, Salum Aboubakar grabbed the winner for the Taifa Stars, a result which saw them claim second place in the group with three points, level with group leaders Tunisia, who scored four goals to top the ladder.
But speaking on the match, Samatta, who turns out for KRC Genk in Belgium was not happy with officiating.
“To me, that was completely a penalty because I was tackled inside the box but the referee waved it away,” Samatta is quoted by Daily News.
On his part, Salum, who scored the winning goal said: “The game was tough especially in the first half…we created many scoring chances but could not turn them into goals. I thank God because the last gasp goal I netted was my first goal serving in the senior team.”
Taifa Stars coach Etienne Ndayiragije said the victory helped to put them on the right track as they target a berth in Afcon finals in 2021 to be staged in Cameroon.
“I am impressed with the way my players approached the match. They fought hard as you saw until finally, we managed to win the match," he said.
The Taifa Stars jetted off to Tunisia on Saturday to face Libya in their second encounter in the group on Tuesday.
Equatorial Guinea and Libya are without points at the bottom of the table.
