Tanzania: Serengeti Breweries Limited launched campaign in support of Taifa Stars

The minister for Labour, Employment and Youth Development, Athuman Juma Kapuya, launched the Serengeti Breweries Limited "Kick the Ball and Score the Goal" campaign in support of Taifa Stars, The Citizen reported May 28.

The campaign targets at sensitizing soccer fans in the country to rally behind Stars throughout the African Nations and World Cup qualifiers that kick off on Saturday.

Stars are supposed to play a total of six matches at home and away against Cameroon,

Cape Verde and Mauritius.Kapuya hailed the brewers who are Stars' main sponsors until 2011 for the initiative that will keep fans spellbound and throw their support to the national team.

The campaign involves miniature goals installed inside trucks and participants need to score to earn token of a prizes.

"Let's be optimistic that God may respond positively to our prayers so that the national team to post victories in the qualifier series and win a berth at either African Nations or World Cup or both," said Kapuya.

He said Stars is for all Tanzanians and therefore need the support of the entire nation.

The brewers public relations, media and communications manager, Teddy Mapunda,

said football is all about scoring and called on Stars strikers to make use of all scoring opportunities.

"This is a countrywide campaign having already been launched in Mwanza, Arusha and Kilimanjaro.

People should step forward to help boost Stars morale," she said.

She wished Stars the best of luck in Saturday's qualifier opener and urged soccer fans to flock at the New Main National Stadium to cheer the team.

In related development, Stars' midfielder Abdi Kassim has been ruled out of the Saturday's match due to injuries.

Stars' assistant coach Ali Bushiri said the possibility of fielding Kassim in the match is far from reality going by the player's current fitness status.

29 May, 2008