AFTER garnering four points from two matchups in their 2025 AFCON Qualifiers, the Taifa Stars will battle it out against the DR Congo this Thursday in what is undoubtedly a crucial Group H qualifier.

Indeed, the stakes could not be higher for the Stars as they will be facing off against the DR Congo, who is indisputably Group H’s leader after having won the two games played thus far in the 2025 AFCON Qualifying Championship.

It should also be noted that the Taifa Stars will be taking on the DR Congo on the latter’s home turf this Thursday and the two teams will slug it out again on October 15 but this time here in Dar es Salaam.

Interestingly, after being excluded from the Taifa Stars in the national team’s last qualifier, the current Stars’ squad will welcome the evergreen veteran Mbwana Samatta (pictured) back into the fold for the all-important duel against the DR Congo.

Understandably, one hopes that the presence of the seasoned Tanzanian striker Samatta will have a calming effect on his younger teammates, especially during stretches of the match when the team is under the cosh.

Let us now dive into the realm of local cycling, which recently received a much-needed shot in the arm following the historic participation of the Tanzanian cyclist Richard Laizer in the sport’s premier competition the Cycling World Championships.

Indeed, in a competition that featured a whopping 84 contestants, Laizer creditably finished in 51st place, which admittedly was not a medal-winning display but was arguably not exactly humiliating either.

Upon his arrival back home, Laizer rightly issued a call to the authorities to invest more in cycling and other sports apart from football.

At this critical juncture, this writer would like to remind you Dear Reader, of the multiple times that we have called for funds to be channeled into low-profile sports on the local sports scene.

It should be highlighted here that local football receives the lion’s share of funding from corporate firms while low profile sports are distressingly left to fend for themselves.

Indeed, this is a deeply dissatisfying state of affairs which has been allowed to frustratingly exist for far too long.

One hopes then that sports stakeholders and the wider sports fraternity will move rapidly to address this perennial cash flow crisis that seemingly perpetually affects low profile sports.

 Let us now consider the saddening demise of the basketball legend Dikembe Mutombo, who passed away lately after losing his battle against brain cancer.

The genial 7-foot-2 giant hailed from the DR Congo and he earned the widespread admiration of numberless basketball fans for being one of the greatest defensive players in the eventful history of the NBA.

Known for playfully wagging his finger at opponents after blocking their shots, Mutombo was justly regarded as being the most prolific shot blocker in the NBA over the course of his peerless career.

However, it was in the post-retirement stage of his life that he would leave behind a truly special legacy as being a selfless humanitarian who changed the lives of millions through his charitable work.

For example, Mutombo invested 15 million dollars of his own money into the building of the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital in the city where he was born, which was named after his deceased mother.

An inspiration to countless Africans on the continent, Dikembe Mutombo leaves behind a huge void in sports that will never be filled.