Tanzania’s national football team head coach Miguel Gamondi has rewarded two standout players from Tanzania’s U-17 national team, the Serengeti Boys, with call-ups to the senior national squad ahead of FIFA international friendly matches in Morocco.
The Argentine tactician included Luqman Mbalasalu who currently features in the domestic championship for Kagera Sugar and Serengeti Boys captain Kassim Juma in his Taifa Stars squad for the high-profile friendlies against Uganda and Rwanda.
The two rising stars are currently in Morocco with the Serengeti Boys, who have enjoyed a historic run to the final of the CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations, where they reached the finals before losing to Senegal through post match penalties after 1-1 draw during normal regulation and extra time.
According to the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF), the duo will link up with the Taifa Stars camp immediately after completing their duties with the national U-17 side. Taifa Stars are scheduled to take on Rwanda on June 9 in Marrakech, Morocco, as part of preparations for upcoming international assignments.
Mbalasalu’s impressive scoring run in the CECAFA qualifiers where he finished as the top scorer and the U-17 AFCON tournament where he played an instrumental role in guiding his U-17 national team to an AFCON final, where they ultimately fell to Senegal in a penalty shootout to earn him a call-up to the senior Tanzania national team.
Kassim Juma was central to the campaign, giving Tanzania pace, defensive strength and leadership.
