UNIVERSAL FEMALE YOUTH CUP 2024; Under-12 girls’ team earns second place

DAR ES SALAAM: THE Under-12 national girls’ team from Tanzania finished as the runners-up at the Universal Female Youth Cup 2024, which concluded recently in China.

Despite a hard-fought final, the Tanzanian team narrowly lost 3-2 to Portugal’s Sporting Lisbon.

Shortly after arriving in Dar es Salaam over the weekend, Coach Elieneza Nsanganzelu highlighted the value of the competition in advancing youth football development.

“This tournament is a significant step towards implementing our youth football programs.

Competing against teams that have heavily invested in youth football provided us with invaluable exposure, which is essential for the girls’ development,” he said.

Throughout the tournament, Tanzania demonstrated impressive performance. In the semi-finals, the team decisively defeated Mongolia 7-0.

Earlier, they secured a 2-0 victory over Dingnan and a resounding 10-0 win against City Dream.

Additionally, they overcame Shantou FA with a 5-0 scoreline.

Over the course of five matches, Tanzania scored a total of 26 goals and conceded only two.

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Reflecting on their close defeat in the final, Nsanganzelu noted, “We were very close to winning first place, but things did not go according to plan.”

He emphasised the importance of exposure for football development, expressing gratitude to the federation for the opportunity.

“Exposure is crucial for proper football development and we are thankful for the chance to compete at this level.”