Dar Es Salaam — AS the senior national team, Taifa Stars, joined women soccer team Twiga Stars, and U-20 youth soccer team in preparations for their respective continental assignments, the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) has cried for financial support to accomplish the teams' programmes.

TFF General Secretary Fredrick Mwakalebela revealed today that a total of 150m/- was needed to facilitate training programmes and the eventual participation of all three teams in the tournaments organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Taifa Stars moved to the camp yesterday in Dar es Salaam and will start training this morning ahead of their African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualification match against Somalia, scheduled for March 28.

According to Mwakalebela, they need 27m/- to facilitate Taifa Stars training which include, players' and staffs' allowances, accommodation and meals.

He added 13m/- was required to meet the costs of bringing in match officials. With Serengeti Breweries and National Microfinance Bank (NMB) bankrolling Taifa Stars programmes, Mwakalebela, however, conceded that the federation's hope is that the sponsors will foot the bill and he urged them to offer their helping hand sooner than later.

Mwakalebela, who suggested that it was the first time after many years TFF has had all three teams simultaneously involved in international competitions, said the main task is to raise a 110m/- combined amount required to foot expenses of the women team and youth soccer teams programmes.

Charles Boniface's Twiga Stars and Rodrigo Stockler's U-20 youth squad have already started the groundwork for their duel with Ethiopia and Malawi in the African Women Championship and Orange youth championship respectively.

Mwakalebela said the two teams are in need of 55m/- each.

The youth team started non-residential camp on Monday, with exception of few players from upcountry regions who are living at TFF hostels.

The non-residential camp will continue to March 25, when they will have a short break before moving into residential camp on March 30, to the time they travel to face Malawi for the first leg match set to take place on April 18.

Mwakalebela said they need 7m/- for the non-residential camp, 22m/- for residential camp and 26m/- to transport the team to Malawi.

"So far we've not raised a single penny out of those 150m/- required, we've just embarked into an initiative to raise the money.

"We're trying to make efforts to raise money and ensure our teams enjoy good preparation and good participation in all tournaments that we're taking part ," he said.

He called for the general public and the business community to rally behind their teams, especially Twiga Stars which has no official sponsor.

He said: "Tanzanians always crave for good results from their teams, the results will only come with good preparations, so they need to support these teams to meet their expectation."