Serengeti Boys get 50m/- boost

THE campaign of the National Under- 17 side, Serengeti Boys to succeed in the African Youth Championship (AYC) in Gabon received a major boost after a Kenyan betting firm, SportsPesa donated 50 million to the team yesterday.

The firm donated the cash to Serengeti Boys in Dar es Salaam in an occasion graced by the Minister of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Harrison Mwakyembe, when the firm officially launched its operations in Tanzania.

The minister thanked the firm for the support and promised to further groom the Serengeti Boys players so as to enable the country groom international-class players of Mbwana Samatta status.

Minister Mwakyembe assured the firm that the boys would perform wonders in the global football starting with the African Youth Championship in Gabon.

The brilliant show of the team in the matches convinced SportPesa management to approve the 50m/- support to team which is already in Libreville, Gabon, ahead of the tournament kick off on May 14.

Serengeti Boys who are pooled in group B, pitched a week training camp in Yaoundé, Cameroon where they played two friendly international games against their U-17 side. They won the first match 1-0 and lost by the same margin in the second game.

The injury-free Serengeti Boys team in Libreville comprise goalkeeper: Ramadhan Kabwili, Samwel Edward and Kelvin Kayego, defenders are Kibwana Ally Shomari, Nickson Kibabage, Israel Mwenda, Dickson Job, Ally Msengi, Issa Makamba and Enrick Vitalis Nkosi.

Midfielders: Kelvin Nashon Naftali, Ally Ng’anzi, Mohamed Rashid, Shaaban Ada, Mathias Juan, Marco Gerald, Abdulhamis Suleiman, Saidi Mussa and Cyprian Benedictor Mtesigwa while strikers are Muhsin Malima Makame, Yohana Mkomola, Ibrahim Abdallah, Assad Juma and Abdul Suleiman.

The technical bench comprises head coach Bakari Shime alias ‘Black Wizard’, Oscar Mirambo (Assistant Coach), Muharami Mohamed (goalkeepers coach), Kim Poulsen (Technical Advisor), Edward Evans (Kit Manager) and team physician Shecky Mngazija.

Serengeti Boys will kick off their campaign in the event against holders Mali on May 15 in Libreville.

Other group members are Angola and Niger. Whereas the host Gabon, Cameroon, Ghana and Guinea make up Group A and will be based in Port Gentil. The hosts will play the tournament opening game on May 14 against Guinea and later in Cameroon will face Ghana.