AFCON U-20: “Tanzania’s ambition is to qualify for the World Cup” – Mrisho

Photo Credit - Tanzania Football Federation.

Head coach of Tanzania’s U-20 male national team Mohammed Mrisho Mohammed has set sight on winning the CAF U-20 Tournament in Egypt.

After lifting the CECAFA U-20 Championship earlier this year, Tanzania aims to lift the continental youth championship and represent the nation at the global showpiece in Chile later this year.

Housed in Group A alongside hosts Egypt, two-time winners Zambia, debutants Sierra Leone, and powerhouses South Africa, Tanzania face one of the toughest draws in the competition.

But Coach Mohammed Mrisho Mohammed believes his squad is mentally and tactically prepared for the challenge which is their second appearance at the U-20 AFCON.

In this exclusive interview with CAFOnline.com, Coach Mohammed shares his thoughts on the group, Tanzania’s ambitions, and why the U-20 AFCON is such a vital platform for the country’s footballing future.

“Since our last appearance, we’ve matured tactically and psychologically. Our preparations this time have been more detailed, and our players now understand what it takes to compete at the continental level. We have a clear plan, and we've been working on it for a long time. The experience we gained previously has helped shape a more focused and determined group.

“I will not name any individual players as it is all about team work. But I want to assure you that we have a good team with some exciting players who will excite the fans.

“Honestly, this is a very, very difficult group. We respect every opponent — Egypt, South Africa, Zambia, Sierra Leone — all strong teams. But we’ve prepared our players to fight, to give everything, and to stay focused. We’re not here to just participate. We want to progress. It will take hard work, but we believe in our ability.

“We recognize that the other teams in our group have strong youth programs and very talented players. But this is football, and anything can happen. We’ve prepared our team to respect our opponents but not fear them. Our mission is to compete — and to win. We are focused on executing our plan, step by step.

“Our number one goal is to qualify for the FIFA U-20 World Cup. That’s the first mission. After that, our second goal is to try and win the tournament. Every nation here has its own ambition. Ours is to make history for Tanzania by reaching the World Cup and showing that we can be competitive against the best in Africa.

Tanzania will open their campaign against South Africa who lost their opening game against host nation Egypt at the Cairo International Stadium on Sunday, April 27.