In a World Cup for everyone, as it has been dubbed by FIFA, players carry historic stories of war and displacement.
![A member of the Naisho women’s group carries a sheep purchased through income earned from harvesting and selling fodder grass in Selela village, Monduli District, northern Tanzania [Courtesy of Pastoral Women’s Council]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IMAGE-1-1780933228.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
Moving on from the disappointment of missing out on the World Cup, Nigeria face Tanzania in their AFCON 2025 opener.
The Tanzanian government has cancelled Tuesday’s Independence Day events as protesters called for a day of action.
Tanzania’s prime minister asked all non-essential workers to stay home, and public transport was also stopped.
Samia Suluhu Hassan, whose re-election prompted protests and a deadly police crackdown, faces calls for accountability.
Despite the releases, opposition leader Tundu Lissu remains behind bars, and hundreds have been charged with treason.
Opposition party Chadema said that its deputy secretary-general, Amani Golugwa, was arrested early on Saturday.
Church leader Benson Bagonza says the move would only deepen the acrimony sparked by the election.
Bloc says ballot stuffing, internet blackout and politically-motivated abductions compromised the vote’s ‘integrity’.
Tanzanian activists say graphic videos offer proof government forces killed dozens of people protesting election result.
