Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s U-20 women’s national team, the Tanzanites Queens, will face the United States in a World Cup build-up match in Poland on September 1, Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) national teams director Almas Kasongo has said.
The match will provide coach Bakari Shime’s side with an important final test ahead of their historic appearance at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, which kicks off in Poland on September 5.
Kasongo said the technical bench had planned to secure two international build-up matches before the tournament, but only the United States fixture had so far been confirmed.
“We had planned to play two matches before the World Cup, but we are still looking for the second opponent,” said Kasongo. The Tanzanites Queens left the country yesterday for Poland, where they will complete their final preparations before beginning their Group B campaign.
Their participation marks Tanzania’s debut at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, with the country among six nations making their first appearance at the tournament. FIFA has confirmed that the competition will run from September 5 to 27 across four Polish cities. Tanzania face a demanding Group B campaign, having been drawn alongside former champions Brazil, Canada and England.
They will open their campaign against Brazil on September 5 at Bielsko-Biała Stadium before facing England three days later. Their final group match will be against Canada on September 11.
The United States, meanwhile, are in Group D alongside Japan, New Zealand and Italy. The Americans have won the U-20 Women’s World Cup three times, in 2002, 2008 and 2012, making them one of the tournament’s most experienced sides.
For Shime’s team, the September 1 encounter should provide valuable exposure against a side accustomed to competing at the highest level of youth women’s football.
The Tanzanites Queens qualified for the tournament after overcoming Cameroon in the final round of the African qualifiers. FIFA described Tanzania as a physically strong and well-prepared side during the qualifying campaign, highlighting the team’s progress ahead of their maiden World Cup appearance.
The timing of the United States match is also significant because Tanzania will have only four days between the friendly and their opening World Cup fixture against Brazil. The technical team will therefore be expected to use the game to assess the players’ readiness, work on tactical organisation and give the squad valuable experience of the conditions in Poland.
The tournament itself will feature 24 teams, with the top two sides from each group and the four best third-placed teams advancing to the round of 16.
For Tanzania, the immediate focus is now on using the final days of preparation effectively as the Tanzanites Queens prepare to make history on the global stage.
