U-20 AFCON: Mkwasa reveals why Tanzania missed quarter-final slot

Photo Credit - Tanzania Football Federation.

Tanzania national team U-20 head coach Boniface Mkwasa has blamed the team’s exit from the TotalEnergies CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on his lack of a striker, who could have converted their chances.

The Ngorongoro Heroes finished their group matches with a 1-0 defeat against hosts Egypt at Suez Canal Stadium on Friday. Ahmed Sharaf’s seventh-minute goal proved enough for the hosts, who finished the group stage level on seven points with South Africa and Sierra Leone, but progressed by virtue of a superior head-to-head mini-league involving the three tied teams.

“I don’t have much to say because everybody saw the game. We are disappointed with the way we couldn’t score goals. So the players are trying to score, but we missed chances. We had chances to score, but the players were in a hurry to score,” said Mkwasa.

“All in all, we praise all the teams that have qualified to the next stage. We are now heading back home. We will arrange ourselves for the next assignment, next time when we come. We have learnt a lot and will come with another objective.

“We know that people saw our football. Our football is made in Africa because we are African coaches who coach the players. But the problem now is just scoring. When we go back home, we will try to look for someone who can utilise the chances that we missed. But in future we will come with different objectives.”

Tanzania, who were already eliminated before facing Egypt, left the competition without a point or a goal from four matches – extending their winless run at U-20 AFCON finals to seven matches across two appearances.