Tanzania fetes players after win

Coach Maximo (in blue shirt) and his players were mobbed on arrival

Tanzania's national squad received a hero's welcome on Monday on their return from a 1-0 victory over Burkina Faso.

The win on Sunday rekindled hopes of reaching the African Nations Cup finals for the first time in two decades.

The victory lifted Tanzania back to the top of Group seven ahead of their rivals Senegal going into the final group matches in September.

Upon arrival in the administrative capital Dodoma, the team paraded in a long motorcade from the airport to the parliament building, where the players were allowed to take VIP seats near the speaker, in a rare gesture normally reserved for visiting heads of state.

Tanzanian Prime Minister Edward Lowassa hailed the team and its Brazilian coach Marcio Maximo for the victory, and asked them to keep working hard.

"I am convinced that we have a good team that can make it to the finals in Ghana and perform very well there," Lowassa said.

He also announced a cash bonus of US$64,000 to be shared by the team and coach.