The country’s Under-23 team is just one step away from lifting the 2021 CECAFA Challenge Cup as they take on Burundi in the finals at Bahir Dar Stadium in Ethiopia today.
A deflected set-piece by Kelvin Nashon in the 64th minute of the semifinal game against South Sudan was enough to squeeze Tanzania into the final and are just moments away before winning the championship.
All eyes and ears from sports fans in the country will be channeled to Ethiopia to see how their team will perform against their neighbors in an interesting final encounter whose will come home with the silverware.
For Tanzania, they have what it takes to bring home the title bearing in mind that their level of performance has been growing up game after game as such, another plausible battle is expected from them. However, Tanzania coach Kim Poulsen need to be praised for picking the win-hungry squad which is always working hard to produce meaningful results for the nation. It should be noted that most of the charges in the Under- 23 team are the ones who will be fielded in the senior team to take up posts of some players who are heading to the retirement door.
As such, it is his (Poulsen) responsibility to make sure that he keenly identifies potential talents from the Under- 23 side, nurture them well and give them a chance to parade in the Taifa Stars.
This should also be a challenge to players to sell off themselves whenever given an opportunity to put on the national colours by simply doubling their efforts in order to win hearts of football fraternity.
Players like Mbwana Samatta, Simon Msuva, John Bocco, Jonas Mkude and many others do not have many years to play for the national team hence their successors should start to be grilled now and the Kagame Challenge Cup is the right platform to achieve that.
To reach this stage, Tanzania outclassed DR Congo 1-0 in their opening fixture before recording a 1-1 stalemate against Uganda in the second match which took them into the last four.
The deployed squad is made up of players who parade in the domestic league as one way to give them exposure on how it feels to put on national gears and fight for the country.
However, a player who is Under-23 is matured enough to be included in the senior team hence some of the best performers in the ongoing CECAFA Challenge Cup will perhaps be called in the next senior team squad.
