OFF the back of their wafer-thin 1-0 loss to the DR Congo last week, the Taifa Stars are all set to take on their talented opponents in a titanic, high stakes, 2025 AFCON Qualifier today.

Indeed, even though the Stars’ narrow loss to the DR Congo was notably the first of their 2025 AFCON qualifiers, there is general acknowledgment among ardent football fans in the country that the team can ill-afford any more slip-ups on their road to next year’s AFCON finals.

With last week’s qualifier between the two ambitious teams taking place in the DR Congo’s neck of the woods, today’s football contest will take place at the state-of-the-art, grand Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, which hopefully means that the teeming masses of home fans will be able to cheer on their team to victory.

Ergo, following last week’s unfortunate defeat, the Taifa Stars will likely go all out today to secure what would be a morale-boosting triumph against erstwhile African champions, the DR Congo.

Let us now turn to the continental football arena, where a whole host of football sides were recently drawn into various groups in the elite CAF Champions League and the always competitive CAF Confederations Cup.

At this juncture, it is crucial to remember that local heavyweights Young Africans and Simba are our flag bearers in the tough CAF Champions League and the challenging CAF Confederations Cup respectively.

First of all, let us examine Young Africans’ pool in the CAF Champions League that happens to be Group A.

Indeed, Group A consists of Congolese juggernauts, TP Mazembe, the Algerian contenders MC Alger and the tricky Al Hilal of Sudan.

For Simba’s part, the Msimbazi Street-based outfit has been drawn into an arduous Group A that is made up of Tunisian giants CS Sfaxien, Algerian team CS Constantine and the Angolan side Bravos Do Maquis, who will be making their debut in the competition.

Obviously, considering the fact that our two football powerhouses will be vying for the title in CAF’s Inter-Club Championships, it goes without saying that early preparations will prove to be absolutely vital to Young Africans’ and Simba’s lofty ambitions of progressing from the group stage in their respective football competitions.

Let us now switch our focus to the grueling sport of marathon running, which made headline-grabbing news lately with the announcement that the seventh edition of the Serengeti Safari Marathon is due to take place on November 16, this year.

This inimitable sporting event will offer the contestants spectacular vistas of the Serengeti National Park as they run through the scenic plains of the world-renowned park.

Indeed, the main goals of the Serengeti Safari Marathon are to strengthen conservation and to improve tourism, among others.

And, in a sign of the burgeoning significance of this unique marathon, the race this year is expected to attract in excess of 2,000 runners from all over the globe.

Thus, as the organizers put the finishing touches to their preparations for the race, it is hoped that the Serengeti Safari Marathon will more than live up to expectations this year.