By 
Tanzania left it late but eventually found a breakthrough to edge Mauritania 1-0 in their second Group B fixture at the ongoing TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024.
Taifa Stars needed a moment of brilliance to break down a stubborn Mauritania side and made it count in the 89th minute, with Shomary Kapombe netting the decisive goal to secure their second straight win of the tournament.
Mauritania started brighter and nearly capitalised on an early free-kick, but couldn’t find the target. Tanzania, who had impressed in their 2-0 opening win over Burkina Faso, looked far less convincing going forward in the first half.
Despite enjoying plenty of possession, clear-cut chances were hard to come by. Clement Mzize wasted a golden opportunity in the 37th minute after being set up by Feisal Salum. Five minutes later, Iddi Seleman couldn’t direct his header on target from a Kapombe delivery.
Mauritania almost took the lead just before the break following a defensive lapse by the hosts, but Yakoub Suleiman came to the rescue with a brilliant save to deny Ahmed Moctar Ahmed. Both sides went into the halftime break deadlocked at 0-0.
Tanzania resumed with more urgency and continued to dominate possession, registering over 70% of the ball. Yet, Mauritania’s disciplined backline frustrated their efforts.
The West Africans offered little going forward in the second half, rarely threatening Suleiman’s goal. But just when it seemed like the points would be shared, Iddy Nado picked out Kapombe with a sublime lofted pass. The experienced right-back brought the ball under control before rifling it past goalkeeper Abderrahmane Sarr to send the home fans into raptures.
The late strike proved enough for the Taifa Stars, who now sit top of Group B with six points from two games.
Tanzania will look to wrap up group play on a high with remaining matches against Madagascar and CHAN debutants Central African Republic (CAR). One more positive result could seal their place in the quarter-finals of the competition.
