Tanzania have handed Azam FC winger Iddi Seleman Nado a late call-up for their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double-header against Nigeria, after injuries ruled out Clement Mzize and Dickson Job. Complete Sports reports that Taifa Stars head coach Miguel Gamondi moved quickly to replace the Young Africans duo, who were withdrawn from the squad while continuing medical treatment at their club.
The call-up comes just three days before the first leg in Uyo, and it leaves Gamondi with 23 players to prepare for a fixture Tanzania cannot afford to lose. Nado travelled with the Tanzanian contingent that left for Uyo on Monday, according to Complete Sports, and he will now push for a place in the squad that faces the Super Eagles at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium on Friday.
Who is Iddi Seleman Nado?
Nado is a 31-year-old winger who plays his club football for Azam FC in Tanzania’s NBC Premier League. He has scored once in 11 appearances for the Taifa Stars, and his experience at international level is one of the reasons Gamondi has turned to him at such short notice.
The Azam man was not part of the original 24-man squad Gamondi named for the double-header, but the late withdrawals opened a door he has now walked through. With Mzize out, Tanzania lose one of their most direct attacking options, and Nado’s pace out wide gives the Argentine coach a like-for-like replacement on the flank.
Why Tanzania needed a late call-up
Mzize and Job were both left out of the travelling party after Young Africans asked for them to stay behind to continue treatment, a decision the Tanzania Football Federation approved. TFF media chief Clifford Ndimbo confirmed to The Citizen that the pair were permitted to remain at their club, and the double blow was first reported on Sunday evening.
Job’s absence is the bigger worry for Gamondi. The centre-back is a senior voice in the Taifa Stars dressing room and the vice-captain at Yanga, while Mzize had only recently returned from a lengthy spell on the sidelines before picking up his latest problem. Losing both men in the same week forced the late reshuffle that has now brought Nado into the squad.
What Iddi Seleman Nado’s call-up means for Friday in Uyo
Tanzania arrive in Uyo with just one point from their opening two qualifiers, having lost 2-0 to Guinea-Bissau before drawing 1-1 with Madagascar. They have already secured a place at the 2027 finals as co-hosts, but Gamondi wants the qualifying campaign to build momentum for the tournament on home soil.
Nigeria, second in Group L with three points from two games, have their own problems. The Super Eagles camp in Uyo opened on Sunday, but flight delays meant no player had arrived by Monday evening, and the squad is only due to hold its first training session on Tuesday afternoon. Eric Chelle is already without the injured Victor Osimhen, so Friday’s game is a must-win for both sides for different reasons.
The return leg follows on Tuesday, November 17, at the Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar. For Nado, the double-header is a sudden chance to prove he belongs at this level — and for Tanzania, it is a test of whether a patched-up squad can take something from a Nigeria side under real pressure to deliver.
For more on the qualifiers, check today’s predictions.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons (CC0) — collage by SportsBuddy
