YOUNG Africans goalkeeper Ramadhan Kabwili has been included in the 28-member Taifa Stars squad set to pitch camp on August 24th for World Cup qualifiers against Democratic Republic of Congo and Madagascar.
The country’s senior team has been lined up to play DR Congo on September 2nd at TP Mazembe Stadium in Lubumbashi prior to hosting Madagascar at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam five days later on September 7th.
Head Coach Kim Poulsen unveiled his arsenal yesterday at Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) headquarters in the city ahead of the major football tournaments.
In his brief remarks, Poulsen noted that the selection of the players has been based on the performance of the players in the Mainland Premier League and how they performed in the past international friendly match against Malawi.
He also narrated that another criteria he has used to pick some of them is on the way they played in the Under-23 CECAFA tournament in Ethiopia where they clinched the title.
Moreover, he said the called team is the combination of experienced and the upcoming players with the latter being groomed for future national team responsibilities.
“For instance, in the beginning, I have picked four goalkeepers but we will travel with three shot stoppers. Two of them are experienced and the other two are still young whom I believe have potential for the future,” he said.
He continued: “If you remember, during my first days in Tanzania, Aishi Manula used to be the young goalkeeper among the experienced ones but he was groomed until now he is the number one goalie.”
Furthermore, Poulsen disclosed that he spent time to see how Uganda were preparing for their qualifying games and he observed that they began a camp on August 15th which was also the date he wanted Taifa Stars to regroup.
“They (Uganda) went to Jordan and played two friendly matches and they are about to play a third signal testing match meaning that in three weeks, they are going to play three friendly duels.
“That was the type of preparations that as a Head Coach I was dreaming about but the reality is different. I have suggested to TFF to organise at least one friendly match possibly on August 29th before we travel to DR Congo,” he said.
The list of the selected players with their parent clubs in bracket has; Aishi Manula (Simba), Metacha Mnata, Ramadhan Kabwili (Yanga), Wilbol Maseke (Azam), Shomari Kapombe (Simba), Israel Mwenda (Simba), Erasto Nyoni (Simba), Dickson Job (Yanga) and Bakari Mwamnyeto (Yanga).
Others are Kennedy Juma (Simba), Lusajo Mwaikenda (Azam), Abdulrazack Mohamed (Azam), Mohamed Hussein (Simba), Nickson Kibabage (Youssofia FC – Morocco), Edward Manyama (Azam), Ayoub Lyanga (Azam), Meshack Mwamita (Gwambina) and Novatus Dismas (Maccabi Tel Aviv – Israel).
Also, the list contains Mzamiru Yassin (Simba), Mudathir Yahya (Azam), Feisal Salum (Yanga), Salum Abubakar (Azam), Zawadi Mauya (Yanga), Iddy Selemani (Azam), Abdul Suleiman (Coastal Union), Mbwana Samatta (Fenerbahce – Turkey), John Bocco (Simba) and Simon Msuva (Wydad Casablanca – Morocco).