Serengeti hope for U-17 finals revived

Serengeti Boys players celebrate during a past African Youths Championship encounter in Dar es Salaam. PHOTO | FILE

What you need to know:

  • Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) filed an appeal against Langa alleging the player was aged over 17 and requesting Africa’s football governing body, Caf, to disqualify the side’s qualifications ahead of next year’s Madagascar youth finals scheduled to start on April 2 to 16.

Dar es Salaam. Congo Brazzaville‘s U-17 soccer team national player, Langa Lesse Bercy, has failed to attend the MRI medical examinations in Cairo, Egypt.

Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) filed an appeal against Langa alleging the player was aged over 17 and requesting Africa’s football governing body, Caf, to disqualify the side’s qualifications ahead of next year’s Madagascar youth finals scheduled to start on April 2 to 16.

Apart from Langa, another alleged ‘player-of-shame’ is Congo Brazzaville’s Under-17 camp is one Rejelvi Beaugorel Massatou, who is said to be a defender born on March 4, 2002. Like Langa, Massatou plays for a premier league side -- Racing Club. He wore jersey number five (5) in the return match against Serengeti Boys in Congo Brazzaville.

Also on the list of shame is Rodriques Kiba Konde, claimed to be born on March 9, 2002, and who plays for AS Panthere. He was wearing jersey number nine (9) when his side played Tanzania. There is also Ben Makouana, born on September 28, 2002. He plays for a premier side known as Ajax de Ouenze.

Other players are Patchely Rael Mbemba, born November 2, 2002, and plays for Ajax de Ouenze), Exau Ngumbi, born October 2, and plays for Racing Club) and Juste Aldo Mantouari, born on January 19, 2002 and plays for Cara Espoir.

TFF played with under-protest in the first match held at the National Stadium and won 3-2. The team also played with the same in the second match and lost 1-0. To show that they are serious, TFF followed all procedures as per CAF rules and regulations including incurring all the costs to make Langa, his medical officer and Congo Brazzaville’s football officials travel to Cairo, Egypt ahead of the medical examination.

TFF was represented by Dr Mwanandi Juma Mwamkemwa, Dr Edmund Ndalama and the chairman of Youth Football development, Ayoub Nyenzi.

According to TFF Media and Information officer Alfred Lucas, the examination was not conducted because Langa had failed to travel to Cairo as he is in the ‘war zone’.

However, Congo Brazzaville’s war zone was not mentioned.

Lucas said TFF is still make following up on the matter and urged all Tanzanian soccer stakeholders to be patient.

Caf has unveiled groups for the event scheduled to take place in April. Congo Brazzaville is in group B with Mali, Angola and Niger while group A will comprise the hosts, Madagascar, Guinea, Cameroon and Ghana.