Dar es Salaam. Tanzania national football team, Taifa Stars head coach Miguel Ángel Gamondi has named a 42-player provisional squad, with United States-based forward Bernard Kamungo among the headline selections as the team steps up preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign.
Kamungo, who plays for Major League Soccer (MLS) side FC Dallas, is one of 11 attackers included in the squad, which also features a strong blend of experienced domestic players, foreign-based professionals and emerging talents.
Taifa Stars are scheduled to face Guinea-Bissau on September 23 before taking on Madagascar on September 27, with an international friendly against Ghana also lined up as part of the preparations. Tanzania, as one of the hosts of AFCON 2027 alongside Kenya and Uganda, have already secured their place at the tournament but will still participate in the qualifying program.
The inclusion of Kamungo adds an intriguing dimension to Gamondi's plans
Born in Kasulu, Kigoma, on January 1, 2002, Kamungo moved to the United States as a 14-year-old refugee in 2016 and eventually established himself as a professional footballer in MLS. FC Dallas says he was discovered during an open trial for North Texas SC in January 2021 before signing his first professional contract in March of that year.
His rise has been remarkable. Kamungo scored 22 goals in 52 appearances for North Texas SC before earning promotion to FC Dallas. He made his MLS debut in September 2022 and scored his first MLS goal against Real Salt Lake in April 2023.
Although born in Tanzania, Kamungo became a United States citizen in May 2022 and subsequently represented the US at international level. He made his senior US men's national team debut on January 20, 2024, after previously featuring for the country's Olympic side.
His story makes his inclusion in the Taifa Stars squad particularly interesting. He was born in Tanzania to parents from the Democratic Republic of Congo and spent part of his childhood in a refugee camp before his family relocated to Texas. FC Dallas has described his journey from refugee camp football to MLS as an extraordinary rise.
At club level, Kamungo has continued to feature regularly for FC Dallas during the 2026 MLS season. He can operate as a winger or forward, although the FC Dallas profile lists him as a midfielder, while other statistical profiles classify him as a forward-midfielder.
Gamondi has also retained several established Taifa Stars players, with the squad showing considerable depth in every department.
Ibrahim Bacca (Young Africans), Bakari Mwamnyeto (Young Africans), Lameck Lawi (Azam FC), Twalib Nuru (Azam FC), Vedastus Masinde (Simba SC), Mohammed Mussa (Young Africans), Danilo Maino (FK Panevezys, Lithuania), Haji Mnoga (Patro Eisden, Belgium), Bakari Msiumu (Simba SC), Nickson Kibabage (Simba SC), Mohammed Hussein (Young Africans), Anthony Mligo (Simba SC), Pascal Msindo (Azam FC), Nathaniel Chilambo (Simba SC).
The defensive group is particularly competitive, combining regular domestic league performers with foreign-based players such as Maino and Mnoga.
Midfielders
Novatus Miroshi (Goztepe, Turkey), Himid Mao (Azam FC), Adolph Mtasingwa (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa), Yusuf Kagoma (Simba SC), Mohamed Sagaf (Eastbourne Borough, England), Alphonse Mabula (JS Kabylie, Algeria), Charles Mmbowa (Zabbar, Malta), Mudathir Yahya (Young Africans), Feisal Salum (Azam FC), Sheikhan Khamis (Singida Black Stars), Morice Abraham (Simba SC), Abdulkarim Kiswanya (Azam FC).
Miroshi, Mao, Mtasingwa, Feisal and Mudathir give Gamondi several options in central and attacking midfield, while Sagaf, Mabula and Mmbowa add experience from outside Tanzania.
Attackers
Tarryn Allarakhia (Boreham Wood, England), Simon Msuva (New York Red Bulls, USA), Bernard Kamungo (FC Dallas, USA), Kelvin John (Aalborg, Denmark), Kibu Dennis (Al Nasr, Libya), Abdul Suleiman (Azam FC), Sabri Kondo (Hacken, Sweden), Cyprian Kachwele (HFX Wanderers, Canada), Said Khamis (Unattached), Selemani Mwalimu (Young Africans), Paul Peter (JKT Tanzania).
Gamondi's decision to name such a large provisional squad gives him an opportunity to assess players competing in different leagues before settling on the final group for the September fixtures.
Kamungo's presence will nevertheless attract much of the attention, particularly because of his unusual football journey and his previous association with the United States national team.
His selection also gives Tanzania another attacking option capable of playing wide, carrying the ball forward and contributing in the final third. With the AFCON 2027 qualifiers providing competitive preparation ahead of the tournament itself, Gamondi will hope the 24-year-old can translate his MLS experience into an important contribution for Taifa Stars.
FC Dallas extended Kamungo's contract in January 2025, with the agreement running through 2027 and club options beyond that period, underlining the club's continued belief in his potential.
For Kamungo, the latest call-up represents another significant chapter in a journey that began in Kasulu and passed through a refugee camp, American high school football and an open trial before reaching one of the world's growing professional leagues.
For Gamondi, meanwhile, the challenge is to turn a 42-man pool into a squad capable of making the most of Tanzania's demanding international schedule.
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