Tanzania’s football federation has fired its national team coach Hemed Suleiman just a month before the African Cup of Nations finals in Morocco, it said late yesterday.
Hemed has been replaced by Argentinian Miguel Gamondi, who will take interim charge of the Taifa Stars for the competition that runs from December 21 to January 18, the federation said in a statement.
“The Tanzanian Football Federation (TFF) has terminated head coach Hemed Suleiman’s contract by mutual consent,” the statement said, without giving further details.
Hemed, who comes from the Tanzanian island of Zanzibar, took over after his predecessor, Algerian Adel Amrouche, was sacked one game into the last African Cup of Nations finals in Ivory Coast in 2024, reports AFP.
Amrouche had accused Morocco of holding too much power in the competition and influencing referee appointments, earning himself an eight-match touchline ban.
Hemed led the Taifa Stars to qualify for their fourth Cup of Nations appearance, and reached the quarter-finals of the African Nations Championships this year.
But they failed to secure a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, finishing third in qualifying in their group behind Morocco and Niger.
Blackburn’s Alebiosu may replace injured Aina
Meanwhile, the head coach of Nigeria’s senior national football team, Eric Chelle, is considering Blackburn Rovers defender Ryan Alebiosu as a potential replacement for right back Ola Aina, who is reportedly sidelined with an injury.
Alebiosu, a 23-year-old former Arsenal youth player, has impressed in the English Championship this season, recording one goal and an assist in 13 appearances. Chelle has spoken directly with the defender, who has expressed his readiness to represent Nigeria despite being eligible for England.
The coach is reportedly planning to integrate Alebiosu as an understudy to Aina, with a view to giving him potential playing time at the Africa Cup of Nations in December if Aina remains unavailable. Previous stand-ins in that role have included Birmingham City’s Bright Osayi-Samuel and Belgium’s Benjamin Fredrick.
Chelle, however, sees Fredrick as a central defender to develop alongside Calvin Bassey, prompting the decision to focus on Alebiosu for the right-back position. This season, Alebiosu has achieved an 83.8% pass accuracy, 33 tackles, 54 duels won, 12 successful crosses, and 38 recoveries, demonstrating his versatility and readiness for international duty.
