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Serengeti Girls coach predicts tough duel against Cameroon

 Tanzania’s Serengeti Girls celebrate after scoring against Cameroon during their first leg of the World Cup qualifiers in Yaounde, Cameroon. Serengeti Girls won 4-1. PHOTO | COURTESY

By  The Citizen Reporter

Media/news company

Mwananchi Communications Limited

What you need to know:

  • The Tanzanian side won 4-1 in the first leg held in Cameroon, where Clara Luvanga scored a hat-trick
  • Serengeti Girls need only a draw to make, for the first time, the history of qualifying for the 2022 FIFA Under 17 Women’s World Cup finals

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s national U-17 women’s football team (Serengeti Girls) head coach, Bakari Shime, has admitted facing an uphill task tomorrow in their second leg of the World Cup qualifiers against Cameroon.

The eagerly-awaited encounter will be held at the Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar.

Serengeti Girls need only a draw to make, for the first time, the history of qualifying for the 2022 FIFA Under 17 Women’s World Cup finals scheduled to take place in India from October 11 to 30.

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So far, China, Japan, Canada, Mexico, the United States, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Spain and the hosts, India, have qualified for the finals.

Tanzania’s side won 4-1 in their first leg held at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde, Cameroon, where Clara Luvanga scored a hat-trick and Diana Mnally struck one to make them come closer to a maiden qualification..

Speaking yesterday, Shime said they are facing a tough encounter, despite the first result giving them the chance of entering the final. He explained that Cameroon are a strong side and Serengeti Girls will have to stretch their muscles in order to qualify.

“Many people think that Cameroon are an easy side following our 4-1 away victory. That’s wrong as we faced a strong opposition in the encounter, despite the victory.

We need to be very keen throughout the game because football sometimes has very strange results. “Basically, we are well prepared for the match and our aim is to qualify for the India finals,” said Shime.

“We have been in training since our return from Cameroon and we are taking the encounter very seriously.

We do not consider the first result as we are going to start afresh,” he insisted. Shime called upon all Tanzanians to give them support by attending the match and cheering them and that those remaining at home should ‘pray’ for their success.

“My players have been motivated by the first result and now they want to make history.

They want to prove their worth in the game not only on the African continent, but also in the world,” he stressed. Tanzania, before facing Cameroon, eliminated Botswana and Burundi and are now on the brink of making the history of qualifying for the World Cup.

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