The exlusion of Tp Mazembe’s striker Mbwana Samata, Zanzibar born Nadir ‘Canavaro’ Haroub, and European-based Henry Joseph, Athumani Machupa and injury-haunted Amir Maftah is set to ignite complaints and raise eyebrows.   

Players  making their maiden debut in the team include Egyptian-based Canal Suez striker Badru Ally, Salum Aboubakar of Azam FC, Villa Squad’s Nsa Job, and Simba’s Jonas Gerald.

Players  who have been recalled after being in the cold for a while  owing to their dismal performance and injuries include  Stephano Mwasika,Uhuru Suleiman, and Kelvin Yondani.

Nevertheless, the exclusion of Samata appears the biggest blow.He has been rated   the hottest property over the rest. The striker has been offloaded from the squad on grounds of unsatisfactory commitment as claimed by the coach.

Poulsen is responsible for the Taifa Stars dismal performance during the qualifier series running to the African Nations Cup that ended in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea over the weekend.

Stars won their only match at home to Central Africa Republic through Samata’s heroics deep into stoppage time in March last year.

Otherwise, the rest of the players are regulars in the line-up. The selected players are required to join an ad hoc training camp at the Karume Memorial Stadium on February 20.

The team is expected to play international friendly against visiting DR Congo at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on February 23 as build up towards the Mozambique clash six days later.

Squad-

Goalkeepers- Juma Kaseja(Simba), Shabani Kado (Yanga), Mwadini Ali (Azam).

Defenders- Kelvin Yondani (Simba),Shadrack Nsajigwa , Stephen Mwasika (Yanga), Aggrey Morris (Azam), Said Nassor, Juma Nyoso, Juma Jabu .

Midfielders- Jonas Gerard, Mwinyi Kazimoto, Shomari Kapombe (Simba),

Shabani Nditi (Mtibwa Sugar), Salum Abubakar and Abdi Kassim (Azam).

Strikers- Hussein Javu (Mtibwa Sugar), John Bocco and Mrisho Ngasa (Azam), Nizar Khalfan (Philadelphia Union), Ally Badru Ally (Canal Suez, Misri), Uhuru Suleiman (Simba) and Nsa Job (Villa Squad).