Players from Tanzania's national women’s football team - known as the Twiga Stars - have said that President Samia Suluhu's recent comments about their physical appearance, which caused some controversy, were deliberately misinterpreted.

On Sunday, while hosting Tanzania's Under-23 men's football team at State House, she described female footballers as having "flat chests" and being unattractive for marriage.

Her remarks were criticised on social media, with some saying the president was humiliating the sportswomen.

But talking to journalists in the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, Twiga Stars players said that the criticism of the president was politically motivated.

“A lot of people on social media… have misinterpreted President Samia's remarks,” squad member Janeth Christopher said.

“Everyone should understand that Mama Samia is not only the president she is also a parent to us.

"So every time a parent tells you something either to warn or reprimand you, it does not mean that you’re not good. It is to affirm the value that pleases the society as a whole.”

On Sunday, Ms Samia said that while female footballers were making the East African country proud by winning trophies, some did not stand a chance of getting married because of the way they looked.

"If we bring them here and line them up, for those with flat chests, you might think they are men - not women," she said.

She said while some sportswomen were married, most of them were not, "and for the way they are, a life of marriage… is a just a dream".