Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s U-17 national football team, the Serengeti Boys, head coach Elieneza Nsanganzelu has named a 25-man final squad ahead of the CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals set for Morocco from May 13 to June 2, 2026.
The announcement comes as the team steps up preparations for the continental showpiece, where Tanzania has been drawn in a tough Group C alongside Mali, Angola and Mozambique. Mali, runners-up in the previous edition, are expected to pose the biggest challenge in the group.
Nsanganzelu has assembled a balanced squad blending talent from leading academies and clubs across the country, with Azam FC, TDS and Young Africans contributing a significant number of players.
The squad includes Abrahman Vuai Nassoro, Ismail Issa Likungilo and Rajabu Manyelezi (Azam FC), Omary Yahaya and George Mzungu (Young Africans), Haji Ally Abdalah, Dismas Athanasi, Kassim Selemani Juma, Hassan Azizi Mkindai, Hamisi Ally Barua, Sadam Hussein Hamis, Nhingo Juma Luzelenga and Sultan Silver (TDS), as well as Luqman Mbalasalu (Kagera Sugar), Abbas Nasser (African Sports), Issa Mussa Chole (Fountain Gate), Hussein Ally Mbegu (Simba) and Soann Shabani of French side Grenoble Foot 38.
Others in the squad are Abdul Issa, Erick Yusuph, Idrisa Kilendemo, Razaki Mbegelendi, Hasani Kizinga and Hamis Mihambo.
aThe team has been in residential camp in Arusha, where the technical bench is fine-tuning tactics, improving fitness and building team chemistry ahead of the tournament.
The focus has been on preparing the young players to cope with the intensity and physical demands of continental competition. This year’s tournament will be played under a new “festival-style” format introduced by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), with most matches and team activities centralised at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Morocco.
Only key fixtures such as the opening match, semi-finals and final will be staged at other venues. The format is designed to enhance player development, streamline logistics and ensure consistent playing conditions throughout the competition.
For Tanzania, the stakes are high, with the top eight teams qualifying automatically for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, while third-placed teams will have another chance through play-offs.
