Tanzania beats Burkina Faso 2-0 in CHAN 2024 opener at Benjamin Mkapa stadium

The Taifa Stars dictated the tempo from the first whistle, mounting early pressure on Burkina Faso’s defence with a series of missed chances. (TFF TANZANIA)

By Erick Kariuki
Saturday, August 2, 2025

The Taifa Stars dictated the tempo from the first whistle, mounting early pressure on Burkina Faso’s defence with a series of missed chances.

Hosts Tanzania got their CHAN 2024 campaign off to a flying start with a dominant 2-0 victory over Burkina Faso in the tournament’s opening match held at a packed Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.

The Taifa Stars dictated the tempo from the first whistle, mounting early pressure on Burkina Faso’s defence with a series of missed chances. Clement Mzize squandered a golden opportunity in the 4th minute after a brilliant through ball, while Iddi Alli followed up with another miss just two minutes later.

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Feisal Abdallah, also known as “Fei Toto,” was at the heart of Tanzania’s attack, showing flair and composure in midfield. His teammate Mudathiri Abbas nearly converted a header in the 19th minute, while Toto continued to be a pivotal figure in maintaining attacking momentum.

Despite their dominance, Tanzania had to wait until first-half stoppage time to break the deadlock. Burkina Faso’s Aime Tologo received a yellow card for a foul in the box, conceding a penalty. Abdul Suleiman stepped up and calmly slotted home the spot-kick, giving the hosts a deserved 1-0 lead at the break.

Burkina Faso responded with three changes at the start of the second half in an attempt to turn the tide, introducing Baguian Karim, Yves, and Malo Patrick. However, the Tanzanian defence remained firm, and goalkeeper Yakoub Ali denied a 17th-minute effort from Souleymane Sangare in the first half and stood tall whenever tested.

In the 74th minute, Mohamed Mohamed doubled Tanzania’s lead with a simple header into an open net after being played in by Iddi Alli, who had drawn out the Burkina goalkeeper. The goal was reviewed by VAR but stood.

Fei Toto continued to impress throughout the second half, constantly threatening the opposition and proving to be a key man for. Mzize nearly added a third in the 49th minute, while Hamad came close from the resulting corner.

Tanzania made late changes with Pascal Msindo replacing Suleiman and Lusajo Mwaikenda coming in for Seleman in the 76th minute to preserve the lead. Seven minutes of added time followed, but Burkina Faso failed to find a response.

The result puts Tanzania in a strong position in Group B as they eye qualification to the knockout stage, while Burkina Faso will need to bounce back quickly in their next outing.

The action continues tomorrow at Mkapa for group B, where Madagascar will face Mauritania at 8 pm EAT, while in Kenya, group A matches will begin with Harambee Stars facing DR Congo at Kasarani 3 pm, while Morocco will be facing Angola at 6 pm in Nyayo stadium.