Tanzania's Twiga Stars Begin preparations for 2011 All Africa Games

THE national women's soccer team of Tanzania, Twiga Stars, is set for residential training camp early next month, ahead of the All Africa Games finals later in September to be held in Maputo, Mozambique.

Twiga Stars head coach Charles Boniface Mkwasa said the players are now on recess after the Council of Southern African Football Associations (Cosafa) Women's Championship in Harare, Zimbabwe, where they finished third behind the hosts and South Africa.

However, Mkwasa said the decision on whether they will start residential camp is at the hands of the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF), which will have to look into their coffers.
"What I sent to them is my proposal on the dates to start camp and other programmes," the former international.
Moreover, he said, Twiga Stars have been invited by Kenya and Uganda for friendly matches. He was optimistic it will be an ideal avenue to test the skills for the ladies ahead of the continental event.

Mkwasa said he has proposed for a mini-tournament pitting the three teams to save as final warm up for Twiga Stars before the All Africa Games finals. Twiga Stars was given a walk over to qualify for the All Africa Games finals after Sudan announced bowing out of the qualifiers.

Twiga Stars also earned two previous walk over during the qualifiers against Uganda and Kenya. Tanzanian ladies will be making their maiden appearance into the coveted games.
Mkwassa said they have now to train hard, taking into account that they earned the finals chance without playing a single knock out match.


Twiga Stars will launch their 2011 All Africa Games campaign against Ghana's  U-20 side the 'Black Princesses'  on September 5 in Maputo, Mozambique. Twiga Stars are in Group B of the continental version of the Olympic Games alongside South Africa, Zimbabwe and Ghana.
The Tanzanian girls will swing back into action on September 8 for their second match against South Africa's Banyana Banyana and Twiga Stars would wind up their group stage campaign in the quadrennial games on September 11 against Zimbabwe.

Mkwasa voiced optimism that his team would make their presence felt in the Maputo games. Twiga Stars made history last year, after making their maiden qualification for the African finals staged in South Africa.