Kigali. It was memorable day for Tanzanian football as its national football team Taifa Stars put up a spirited performance o defeat Macau 6–0 in an international friendly at the FIFA Series tournament in Kigali, Rwanda on Sunday, March 29, 2026.
Taifa Stars head coach Miguel Gamondi finally savoured victory, after five winless matches, a run lasting 450 minutes. The match against Macau marks Gamondi’s sixth game in charge and his second friendly under the FIFA calendar.
Beyond being Gamondi’s first win, the result also stands as Taifa Stars’ most emphatic victory in recent years within FIFA competitions, and a record scoreline in the FIFA Series.
It is also Tanzania’s second win in the history of the FIFA Series, having previously defeated Mongolia 3–0 after an opening loss to Bulgaria in their debut appearance.
Notably, who plays as a left-back for Turkish side Göztepe Novatus Dismas now stands as the team’s top scorer in the tournament, with two goals one against Mongolia and another in today’s triumph over Macau.
Despite making ten changes to the starting line-up that suffered a 1–0 defeat against Liechtenstein in their opening match, Taifa Stars controlled the game throughout and recorded one of the biggest wins in the nation’s history.
The scoring began in the 16th minute when Amancio turned the ball into his own net, before Bakari Mwamnyeto doubled the lead in the 26th minute.
Mudathir Yahya added a third just before the break, capping off a strong first-half performance in which Stars registered 11 shots, five of them on target.
The second half continued in the same fashion, with Paul Peter finding the net in the 56th minute, followed by Novatus Dismas in the 74th and Allarakhia sealing the emphatic victory in the 87th minute. Gamondi rotated his entire first-half squad during the second period, maintaining intensity throughout.
Midfielder Charles M’Mombwa played a crucial role, contributing to three of the six goals including involvement in the opener and providing assists for Mudathir and Peter during his 56 minutes on the pitch.
Gamondi first took charge of Taifa Stars on an interim basis during the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco, stepping in for Hemed Suleiman.
Although the team did not register a win in that tournament, they made history by reaching the Round of 16 for the first time.
Drawn in Group C, Stars lost 2–1 to Nigeria but earned valuable points with 1–1 draws against Uganda and Tunisia, finishing among the best third-placed teams to progress.
Their journey ended with a narrow 1–0 defeat to the host nation in the knockout stage, but their performance was widely celebrated as a milestone for Tanzanian football.
The Argentine tactician has expressed his ambition to build a competitive squad ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be hosted in East Africa for the first time.
