U-17 Boys buoyant with Seychelles rout

THE U-17 national soccer team, Serengeti Boys yesterday kicked off their CAF U-17 African Youth championship qualifiers campaign positively after hauling a 3-0 win over Seychelles at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

Two goals from the first half and one in the second half gave confident Serengeti Boys a cool victory against disorganised Seychelles squad which failed to impress in the match, a situation that give the hosts an opportunity to dominate in all 90 minutes of the game.

The hosts took 15 minutes to stamp the lead through Shaaban Zubeiry Ada whose 19-metre thunderbolt easily found the back of the yawning net. The scorer completed a move initiated by Nickson Clement Kibabage who played brilliantly.

After the goal, the visitors decided to play a defensive game, but that didn’t help them much as in the 22nd minute, Ibrahim Abdallah Ali doubled the hosts’ lead after Seychelles goalkeeper Juninho Mathiot fumbled a weak shot from overlapping defender Kibabage and the rebound met the scorer who coolly placed the ball into the gaping net.

Serengeti Boys who are under the tutelage of Bakari Shime and Danish tactician Kim Poulsen, went into the break leading 2-0 and in the resumption continued to pile pressure on their visitors goal.

It was Ally Hussein Msengi who made it 3-0 in the 62nd minute of the game through a spot-kick. The hosts’ third goal came after the match referee Belay Tadesse Asserese from Ethiopia awarded Serengeti Boys a penalty after Seychelles defender, Stan Esther handed the ball inside the penalty box in efforts of clearing Asad Ali Juma’s shot.

With the victory Serengeti Boys now need a draw of any kind to set a date with South Africa counterpart. Following the hefty loss, Seychelles will be forced to score at least 4-0 goals in their return leg tie in Victoria, Seychelles early next month if they seriously want to set a date with South Africa.

The winner of the two-legged match will proceed to the next round to face South Africa in the last 16 so as to get eight teams which will play in the finals to be staged in Madagascar, next year.

The match with South Africa will be played between 5 to 7 August, this year, for the first leg and the return leg will be on 19 to 21 August. The tournament will also act as a qualifier to the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

The top four nations will seal their places in the finals in September 2017. Serengeti Boys: Ramadhan Kabwili, Israel Patrick Mwenda/Enrick Vitalis Nkosi 73min, Nickson Clement Kibabage, Dickson Jickson Job, Ally Hussein Msengi, Ally Hamisi Ng’azni, Kelvin Nashon Naftali/Cyprian Ben Mtesigwa 46min, Shaaban Zubeiry Ada, Ibrahim Abdallah Ali, Rashid Mohammed Chambo na Asad Ali Juma/Mohammed Rashid Abdallah 85min.

Seychelles : Juninho Mathiot, Gino Pleursuse, Mathiew Bassot/Tyjee Jeubort 60min, Stan Esther, Brandon Molle, Darren Dolley, Cuurtell Rose/Emmanuel Lesparanie 89min, Jesus Joseph, Hegled Havelock, Ryan Henrette na Brandon Tancustte.