DAR ES SALAAM, Dec. 26 -- TAIFA Stars remain hopeful about Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Group C campaign despite a 1-0 defeat to Nigeria in their Group C opener at Fez Stadium.

After the match, players, including Novatus Dismas, Charles Mmombwa, Dickson Job and Zuberi Foba spoke about the game, praising their performance despite the loss, emphasising their determination to qualify for the knockout stage.

Dismas pointed out that defensive lapses and miscommunication during a set piece allowed Nigeria to score.

“We faced a strong team and gave our all, but we lost. The challenge came from a lack of communication during a set piece. We were not well organised, leaving a Nigerian player free and their height advantage punished us,&#...