Pawasa credit TFF for U-15 ASF victor
DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA’S U-15 boys’ national football team returned home to a hero’s welcome after clinching the CAF African Schools Football Championship (ASFC) for the second year running and this time on Ghanaian soil.
Their achievement, as coach Boniface Pawasa passionately declared, is no mere stroke of luck but a shining result of sustained grassroots investment in talent by the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF).
Speaking at the Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) upon arrival yesterday in Dar es Salaam, Pawasa attributed the team’s victory to the strategic groundwork laid by the TFF, particularly through the establishment of youth leagues ranging from under-13s to under-17s and a network of school tournaments.
“Across the country now, we have proper age-group competitions—U-13s, U-14s and so on. These provide fertile ground for scouting and nurturing young talent,” said Pawasa.
“As a coach, I have had the privilege of watching raw ability blossom into footballing brilliance.” The championship, which took place in Ghana, saw the young Taifa stars outclass their continental counterparts with a blend of tactical discipline and flair. Pawasa noted that the road to glory was not paved with ease.
“Defending a title, especially away from home, is never easy. It was a week without sleep. Every single day demanded tactical rethinks and technical fine-tuning.
It was sleepless nights for me and the entire coaching bench,” he admitted. Their rigorous preparation was anchored at the TFF centre in Tanga, which Pawasa praised as a pivotal element in shaping the boys into champions.
The team’s back-to-back success—having won the previous edition in Uganda with a 2-0 win over Rwanda—is now a beacon for Tanzania’s youth football development.
The victory has not only boosted national pride but also turned the spotlight on the young stars, with global scouts taking notice.
“Right now, no fewer than seven of our boys are in advanced talks with top football agents. God willing, by May, we might see some of our players called for trials at clubs abroad,” Pawasa revealed, hinting at dreams ready to take flight. A former Simba and national team player himself, Pawasa used the occasion to urge parents across Tanzania to embrace sports as a legitimate pathway to opportunity. “Football is not just a game—it’s an industry.
It’s employment. Parents must allow their children to participate and teachers should offer them support. Let’s listen to them, understand their challenges and guide them,” he appealed.
President President Samia Suluhu Hassan also joined the chorus of praise, lauding the team for making the nation proud.
“You’ve brought honour to our country and fuelled the fire for sports development in Tanzania,” she stated in her congratulatory message.
She affirmed her administration’s commitment to youth and school-level sports, underlining the power of football in uniting and inspiring a generation.
