Tanzanian youngsters to watch in U-17 Afcon finals
Dar es Salaam. The 2019 bi-annual Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) competition is less than two weeks away, and excitement for the tournament has reached a fever pitch.
The Afcon finals, which roar into life on April 14 at the National Stadium and Azam Complex in Dar es Salaam, will serve as a breeding ground for football stars of the future to make a name for themselves.
Apart from hosts Tanzania, the two-week championship will also feature youth outfits from Nigeria, Angola and Uganda, which are in Group A alongside the hosts.
Group B consists of Cameroon, Guinea, Senegal and Morocco.
The national Under-17 soccer team, Serengeti Boys, will be competing in the Afocn finals for the second time since the tournament’s inception in 1995.
They last competed in the finals in 2017 in Gabon.
Many notable names in the team first caught the attention of the African continent with their performances in the 2018 Africa Union Sport Council (AUSC) Region Five Youth Games in Gaborone, Botswana, where won the title.
In the building up to the kick-off of the 2019 Afcon finals, The Citizen has selected six Serengeti Boys players who will likely shine in this year’s edition.
They are among 23 youngsters making up the squad. They are notable for their brilliant performances, sky-high potential or peculiarities.
They are all worth tracking, and some will go on to achieve great things in the game:
Kelvin John
Position: Striker
Having played an inspirational role for Serengeti Boys in the 2018 Africa Union Sport Council (AUSC) Region Five Youth Games in Gaborone, Botswana, there are high hopes that he will do well in this tournament.
John, who is popularly known as Mbappe, is among the best strikers of his generation.
In the recent past, the gifted forward has been scoring goals almost at will for the national youth team.
He has asked soccer fans to turn up at the National Stadium in large numbers during the Afcon finals to cheer the hosts.
Agiri Ngoda
Position: Striker
Only few, any, defenders enjoy playing against him. He is among the national Under-17 team’s key players.
Ngonda played a key role for Serengeti Boys’ impressive performance in the 2018 Cecafa Under-17 Challenge Cup in Kigali, Rwanda, where the Tanzanian boys claimed the title.
He started his career as a winger, but his ability to beat defenders and find the net on a regular basis saw his coach play him as a forward.
He is among youngsters Tanzanians bank on for goals in this month’s Afcon finals. This will be first for Tanzania to host the championship.
“We know that we will be up against the best youth teams in Africa, but we are ready for the challenge,” says the talented youngster.
Morice Abraham
Position: Attacking midfielder
He wants to play for a top club outside Tanzania one day, and a good performance for his country in the 2019 Afcon finals, might just help him achieve his dream.
‘Midfield maestro’, as Abraham is fondly referred to, won many a heart for his impressive skills during the Africa Union Sport Council (AUSC) Region Five Youth Games in Gaborone, Botswana, where Serengeti Boys emerged champions.
He has what it takes to excel internationally as those who have seen the midfielder in action can attest.
Arafat Hussein
Position: Central defender
Arafat earned a call-up for national duty after performing impressively for JMK Youth Park Academy.
His extra-ordinary ability to thwart dangerous moves by rival team’s strikers and launch counter-attacks make him one of the best young defenders Tanzania has ever produced.
Born on July 13, 2003, Hussen hit the limelight a few months after joining JMK Park Academy in Dar es Salaam.
He has expressed optimism that Serengeti Boys will be crowned Afcon 2019 champions and secure a ticket for the Fifa U-17 World Cup to be held in Brazil, later this year.
“Our target is to win the Afcon title or finish runners-up so that we qualify for the Fifa World Cup,” he says.
“We are well prepared for the tournament. We know that all Tanzanians will rally behind us,” he adds.
Mustapha Rashid
Position: Holding midfielder
Mustapha, also a product of JMK Youth Park Academy, leaves opponents flatfooted due to his extra-ordinary soccer skills when in action.
Serengeti Boys usually win the battle in the midfield in both friendly and competitive games because of his ability to man the area.
To many soccer fans, the player is popularly known as Serengeti Boys’ “engine”. He is optimistic that Serengeti Boys will qualify for the Fifa World Cup for the first time in the Afcon finals.
Mwinyi Abdallah
Position: Goalkeeper
His ability between the posts and consistency has earned him plentiful first-team dominance in the team. He is a tremendous servant to the team.
