Copa Coca-Cola praised for unveiling new young talents

Dar es Salaam. The running of the U-17 Copa Coca-Cola tournament has boosted the country’s football for both premier league clubs and youth national teams, Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) has said.

Speaking to The Citizen, TFF technical director Salum Madadi said currently many premier league clubs recruit players who have been scouted from the tournament that involved inter primary school game (Umitashumta) as well as inter secondary school competitions (Umiseta).

Some of the players who featured in Copa Coca-Cola tournament and currently shine in the National soccer team, Taifa Stars are: Thomas Ulimwengu who played for TP Mazembe, Simon Msuva, Aishi Manula, Hassan Kessy, Shomari Kapombe, Saleh malande, Yusuph Soka and Amani Kyata. Madadi noted that TFF was very proud of winning the Copa Coca-Cola tournament which also contributes to the existence of the national soccer teams, U-17 (Serengeti Boys), U-20 (Ngorongoro Heroes) and the senior team, Taifa Stars.

He noted that the women national teams, Twiga Stars and U-20 (The Tanzanite) are eying for the tournament. “It has been easy for us to select players for women teams as well as youth lineups. Earlier, TFF depended on regional and district football governing bodies to send players for the squads,”

“Although the tournament is now under Umitashumta and Umiseta, TFF’s role will remain technical where we will be scouting the players for all teams. The tournament is not in our mandate unlike in the past when technical issues were in hands of the football governing body,” said Madadi.

He added that apart from nurturing the football talent, the tournament was also used as a way of exposing players who performed the best in the event.“We have witnessed many players travelling abroad for treatment and featuring in the special tournament.

This has been purposely done to make them exposed,” he said.“Youth players were camping in Brazil, South Africa and last year they were in France where they joined other players from across the world. The Tanzania Football Federation (TFF), previously Football Association of Tanzania, is the governing body of football in Tanzania. It controls the Tanzania national football team. It was founded in 1930 and has been affiliated with FIFA since 1964.