Simon Msuva spoke with pride and humility after being named Man of the Match in Tanzania’s 1-1 AFCON 2025 draw with Uganda, insisting the award belonged as much to his teammates and fans as to him.
Msuva, who opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 58th minute, said he was really happy with the MOTM award but stressed he could not take all the credit, dedicating it to the group and the supporters who had pushed them throughout a fierce East African derby.
“Thank you so much. I am really happy with the trophy, but I cannot take all the credit. It is for my teammates and the supporters who have rallied us. We know Uganda are our neighbours so we knew it would be difficult but thank God we managed to work together and get a result.”
On the pitch, Msuva led the line with energy and responsibility, converting his spot-kick calmly after Alhassan Baba was penalised for handball, and constantly offering himself for passes as Tanzania tried to break at speed. He helped stretch Uganda’s back line with his movement, drew fouls in advanced areas and stayed switched on defensively when required, pressing from the front.
Even after Karl Ikpeazu’s diving header made it 1-1 and Allan Okello missed a last-gasp penalty for Uganda, Msuva remained positive, framing the point as something to build on before Tanzania’s next decisive test against Tunisia.
