Explosion at Limbe stadium will not affect our plans – Ndayiragije
Tanzania coach Etienne Ndayiragije has come out to state the recent explosion which rocked Limbe Stadium will not affect the team’s targets in the African Nations Championship which starts in Cameroon on Saturday.
Explosions were reported outside the Limbe Omnisport Stadium on Thursday and heading into the tournament, Cameroon have faced criticism for using a host stadium in the South-West region against a backdrop of local instability.
Zambia, Tanzania, Guinea, and Namibia, who are in Group D, are expected to play at the Omnisport Stadium during the tournament, which is reserved for home-based African players. The first game at the stadium is scheduled to be between Tanzania and Zambia tomorrow.
Despite the situation in Limbe, Taifa Stars, as the Tanzanian senior side is known, coach Ndayiragije has maintained they have not been affected nor faced disturbing issues since they arrived in the town and they are preparing to play their opening match without focusing on what is happening there.
“We have been assured that there is tight security, and we have not been affected in any way since we arrived here, so our focus is on what brought us, to play in the tournament, and we have already set our targets and that is where we have turned our energy to,” Ndayiragije told Azam TV.
“We have asked the players not to be concerned about the situation, we are here to play and win our matches and we have to focus, and that is our main target here.”
Although the attack on Thursday did not have any fatalities, several cars were destroyed, amidst ongoing concerns about the safety of the region due to separatist tensions.
The reported terrorist act was claimed by ‘Fako Action Forces’, according to local source Journal du Cameroon. The explosion reportedly took place on the ‘perimeter’ of the Limbe Stadium, just one of the venues designated to host Chan matches.
Apart from the Omnisport Stadium in Limbe, other stadiums that will be used are the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde which will host Group A games. Group B fixtures will be played at Japoma Stadium in Douala, while Group C participants will be playing at the Douala Reunification Stadium.
– Goal.com