Poulsen: Serengeti Boys will shine in CECAFA U17

SERENGETI Boys Head Coach Kim Poulsen said the 1-0 triumph over Sudan has been a big  boost for his team ahead of the East and Central Africa (CECAFA) U-17 Championship in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The two teams met at Black Rhino Academy arena in Karatu, Arusha over the weekend for an international friendly where Tanzanian envoys have pitched a camp ahead of their trip to Ethiopia.

The CECAFA  U-17 tournament pegged to kickoff from September 30th to October 15th this year will also be used as a gateway for the qualification of the Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Algeria.

In his remarks after the match, Poulsen reiterated that the encounter has helped a lot to provide confidence to the young players ahead of the CECAFA mission.

“It was a good game, we played well especially in the second half but the most important thing was to keep the boys in combat mood before making the journey to Ethiopia for the tournament,” he said.

He, however, conceded that his boys were a bit nervous probably because it was their first international friendly match but insisted that he was convinced with the way they adapted the match.

“The victory has helped a lot the boys to enjoy the game and it is important to them since they are able to glimpse what it feels when they become victorious in international matches,” he said.

He then called on Tanzanians to rally behind them as they eye to represent well the nation in Ethiopia so that they can qualify for the Under-17 AFCON showdown.

The two finalists from this championship will qualify for the Under-17 AFCON finals to be staged in Angola in 2023.

Uganda are the reigning champions of Under-17 CECAFA tournament and will be targeting to defend it for a second time in a row.