Tanzania national football team
Taifa Stars · CECAFA · Elo 1335 (46th in Africa)
About the Tanzania national team
The Tanzania national football team (Taifa Stars) represents Tanzania in men's international football and competes in CAF's East and Central African (CECAFA) region.
All told, Tanzania have played 601 recorded internationals since 1945: 163 wins (27.1%), 172 draws and 266 defeats, with 661 goals scored and 895 conceded.
Tanzania have played at 4 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments without winning the title.
Tanzania have not yet qualified for a FIFA World Cup finals tournament.
Our Elo rating puts Tanzania on 1335 points: 46th in Africa and 180th in the world. Their highest rating (1532) came in 1982.
Simon Msuva is the leading scorer in our match records with 7 goals for Tanzania.
Next matches
All fixtures →Recent results
All results →LLLDDLLWLD
| Date | Opponent | Score | Competition | Venue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Sep 2026 | D |  Madagascar |
1–1 | AFCON Qualification | A · Antananarivo |
| 25 Sep 2026 | L |  Guinea-Bissau |
0–2 | AFCON Qualification | H · Unguja |
| 29 Mar 2026 | W |  Macau |
6–0 | FIFA Series | N · Kigali |
| 26 Mar 2026 | L |  Liechtenstein |
0–1 | FIFA Series | N · Kigali |
| 4 Jan 2026 | L |  Morocco |
0–1 | Africa Cup of Nations | A · Rabat |
| 30 Dec 2025 | D |  Tunisia |
1–1 | Africa Cup of Nations | N · Rabat |
| 27 Dec 2025 | D |  Uganda |
1–1 | Africa Cup of Nations | N · Rabat |
| 23 Dec 2025 | L |  Nigeria |
1–2 | Africa Cup of Nations | N · Fez |
| 15 Nov 2025 | L |  Kuwait |
3–4 | International Friendly | N · Cairo |
| 14 Oct 2025 | L |  Iran |
0–2 | International Friendly | N · Dubai |
| 8 Oct 2025 | L |  Zambia |
0–1 | World Cup Qualification | H · Unguja |
| 9 Sep 2025 | L |  Niger |
0–1 | World Cup Qualification | H · Unguja |
Key facts
- At home
- 83W 69D 63L (39% wins)
- Away
- 26W 66D 134L (12% wins)
- Neutral venues
- 54W 37D 69L (34% wins)
- Goals per match
- 1.10 scored, 1.49 conceded
- Clean sheets
- 159 (26%)
- Failed to score
- 208 matches (35%)
- Most common score
- 1–1 (95 times)
- vs Asia
- 3W 2D 6L
- vs Europe
- 0W 0D 2L
- vs Oceania
- 1W 0D 0L
- vs South America
- 0W 0D 1L
- Best decade
- 2000s (36% wins)
- First recorded match
- Uganda 7–0 Tanzania (1945)
Where Tanzanian players were born
All birthplaces →Each dot is a birthplace; bigger dots mean more players. Players born outside Africa are on the born abroad page.
Active Tanzanian internationals
Where they play →| Player | Position | Club | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mbwana Samatta | Forward |  Aston Villa F.C. | – | – |
| Aisha Masaka | Forward | Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. | 15 | 9 |
| Janeth Shija | Goalkeeper | Simba Queens | – | – |
Players with an open club spell and a senior cap on record; not an official squad list.
Top scorers
Full list →- Simon Msuva2019–2025
- Mbwana Samatta2013–2019
- Thuwein Ali1980–1980
- Peter Tino1980–1984
- Jerson Tegete2008–2008
- Thomas Ulimwengu2013–2015
- Thuwein Waziri1980–1980
- Danny Mrwanda2008–2008
- Erasto Nyoni2012–2021
- Amri Kiemba2013–2013
Record by competition
| Competition | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Titles | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup | 135 | 49 | 33 | 53 | 171 | 162 | 1973–2017 | |
| AFCON Qualification | 107 | 25 | 30 | 52 | 96 | 141 | 1967–2026 | |
| World Cup Qualification | 52 | 12 | 16 | 24 | 49 | 72 | 1972–2025 | |
| Africa Cup of Nations | 13 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 23 | 1980–2026 | |
| COSAFA Cup | 13 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 16 | 1997–2017 | |
| FIFA Series | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 2024–2026 | |
| Nile Basin Tournament | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 2011–2011 | |
| Mapinduzi Cup | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 2025–2025 | |
| All-African Games | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 1973–1973 |
Notable Tanzanian players
All players →
Mbwana SamattaTanzania · Aston Villa F.C.
Nizar KhalfanTanzania · b. 1988
S
Simon MsuvaTanzania · b. 1993
M
Mrisho NgasaTanzania · b. 1989
L
Leodgar TengaTanzania · b. 1955
N
Nadir HaroubTanzania · b. 1982
E
Erasto NyoniTanzania · b. 1988
K
Kelvin YondanTanzania · b. 1984
T
Thomas UlimwenguTanzania · b. 1993
R
Raphael BoccoTanzania · b. 1989
Adi YussufTanzania · b. 1992
J
Juma KasejaTanzania · b. 1985
Frequently asked questions
What is the nickname of the Tanzania national team?
Tanzania are nicknamed the Taifa Stars.
How many times have Tanzania won AFCON?
Tanzania have won the Africa Cup of Nations 0 times.
Have Tanzania played at the World Cup?
No, Tanzania have not qualified for a World Cup finals tournament yet.
Who is the top scorer for Tanzania?
In our match database, Simon Msuva leads with 7 goals. Goal data is most complete for tournament matches.
What is the biggest win in Tanzania history?
Tanzania 7–0 Somalia on 1 December 1995 (CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup).