The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
Majuto Omary
2 December 2011
Taifa Stars head coach Jan Poulsen has expressed his satisfaction with the standard of soccer in the region. Speaking exclusively with The Citizen on Saturday yesterday, the Danish tactician said the East and Central African soccer was on the rise.
Poulsen, who guided Kilimanjaro Stars to break a 16-year jinx when they clinched the trophy last year, tipped one of the participating countries would leave its mark in world events in the near future.
“There are a lot of changes and one of the teams that has improved considerably is Burundi. They play some sublime soccer and managed to beat favourites Uganda,” the Dane said.
Burundi affectionately known as Les Hirondelles (the Swallows) pulled a surprise on Thursday to squeeze a 1-0 victory over Uganda Cranes.The Taifa Stars coach also cited Kenya’s Harambee Stars as another side that has its game improved compared to last year.
“Last year Kenya did not look good enough, but I have watched their last match and I can see they are playing well as a team.”Generally, the whole region has made some remarkable progress in soccer though there is still a long way to go,” Poulsen observed.Commenting on Kilimanjaro Stars chances, he said the team has all it takes to sail through to the final and retain the title.
AllAfrica – All the Time