Salford City defender Haji Mnoga has made history with Tanzania as they reached the knockout stage of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) for the first time.
Mnoga played for 95 minutes as Tanzania battled to a 1-1 draw with Tunisia in Rabat to earn their place in the knockout stages for the first time since their first participation 45 years ago.
The 112th-ranked team in the world finished third in a group containing African Football heavyweights Nigeria and Tunisia as well as Angola.
Tanzania finished third in Group C after they lost their opening game to Nigeria 2-1, but drew 1-1 with Uganda and Tunisia.
Despite failing to win a game and only earning two points, they qualified as one of the four best third-placed sides in the competition to set up a Round of 16 tie with host nation Morocco.
Mnoga, who joined Salford City upon the expiry of his contract at Portsmouth in 2024, has become a mainstay at the Peninsula stadium.
Under the tutelage of head coach Karl Robinson, the versatile 23-year-old has played on Salford’s right as a winger, wingback and in a familiar fullback role.
He has been a consistent starter for Salford this season, appearing 15 times for the Ammies across all competitions.
Haji Mnoga played 95 minutes for @Tanfootball in their 1-1 draw with Tunisia, seeing them qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations knockout stage for the first time in their history! 🇹🇿
They will now play tournament hosts Morocco on Sunday 4th January, good luck and a massive… pic.twitter.com/WbFMnIY8dA
— Salford City FC (@SalfordCityFC) December 31, 2025
Mnoga has carried his excellent League Two form into AFCON, where, after being used as a second-half substitute in Tanzania’s opening game defeat to Nigeria, he has started successive games at right-back.
He will be aiming to make further history with Salford City in 2026 by helping the club secure promotion to League One for the first time.
The Ammies are fifth in League Two and travel to Barrow on 1 January as they look to start the new year on a positive note, 3pm kick-off at the SO Legal Stadium.
