Hemeya Tanjy might not be a household name but he has a gift for scoring from almost anywhere. A forward with Mauritanian outfit Nouadhibou and the national team, he is one of the leading players in the African country’s top flight.
Last season he topped the league’s scoring charts and helped his side win the title. Not one to rest on his laurels, he now hopes to inspire his team in the second round of the African qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, which begins this month.
“It’s a dream come true for me,” the young forward said in an interview with FIFA.com. “I’m going to represent my country in a World Cup qualifying competition. It gives me even more motivation to do my very best, show the coach he can depend on me, and consolidate my place in the team. I’ve got faith in my abilities and anything is possible in football.”
Mauritania coach Corentin Martins will need his players to be fit and firing if they are to compete in a group that also features Tunisia, Zambia and Equatorial Guinea.
Despite the calibre of the opposition, Tanjy is ready for the challenge: “Matches at this level are always tough, but we’re a competitive side. We might not have any stars or massively talented players, but we’re a proper unit and that’s where our strength lies. There’s a great connection between the players because most of them have been with the national team for the last seven or eight years, which helps a lot.”
He added: “We’re not scared of anyone in our group. I know Tunisia are there and they’re a powerful side, but we’ve played them many times already.”
The 23-year-old forward has not been called up on a whim. After impressing for the U-20 and U-23 sides, he ran out for the full national team at the 2018 African Nations Championship in Morocco. Martins then called Tanjy up for the 2019 CAF Africa Cup of Nations, though he ended up playing no part in the tournament.
