Taifa Stars head coach, Kim Poulsen

Taifa Stars head coach Kim Poulsen has proposed at least two international friendlies for his team ahead of the 2014 World Cup qualifier tie against Morocco in late August.

The coach is expected to announce his training program in Dar es Salaam today and the line-up of players for the friendly.

Poulsen says he feels the players will lose fitness they gained during a month-long camping before losing the African Nations Cup qualifier tie against Mozambique ten days ago.

Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) information officer Boniface Wambura yesterday said the coach has presented a proposal for the national team training program and recommended international trials.

The TFF has accepted but Wambura declined to unveil the detailed account of the plan of activities.

The coach is expected to provide details of his proposed plan before the members of the press at the TFF headquarters later today.

The coach’s proposals culminate a pledge he gave soon after flying back from Mozambique where his boys unfortunately lost the qualifier series through shootout.

Poulsen is in tense mood and highly concerned of players who might lose fitness, cohesion and coordination should they stay for long duration without playing matches.

“The next Fifa calendar date is late August. We therefore need to have the team play some games in between if we need to maintain form of the players,” he said.

The Danish coach, who was initially contracted to train the youth teams, is still enjoying a honeymoon as fans pardon him for the African Nations Cup qualifier berth flop.

Since he took over the team last month, Poulsen has managed to lead the team in one victory against Gambia during the day two of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers played at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

Otherwise, Taifa Stars have lost twice, first to Cote d’Ivoire and the other to Mozambique in high profile World and Nations Cup qualifiers.

He led the team to a barren draw with visiting Malawi ahead of travelling to Abidjan.

However, Poulsen’s plans are likely to face some drawbacks as players from the three premiership teams of Simba, Yanga and Azam will be involved in preparations for the Kagame Cup that kicks off mid next month.

The ongoing players’ registration window is also another stumbling block to keep them at a training camp as clubs would raise concern of their ‘safety’ from recruitment ‘predators’.