Tanzania’s Serengeti Girls have made it into the quarter-finals of the 2022 FIFA Women’s World Cup after finishing group D as runners-up.
Tanzania coach Bakari Shime believes success at the Under-17 Women’s World Cup in India could be “a turning point” in a country where the female game is yet to be widely accepted.
The Serengeti Girls, the first team from Tanzania to ever feature at a global tournament, bounced back from an opening 4-0 loss to Japan to claim a 2-1 victory over former champions France on Saturday.
The debutants can seal an historic qualification for the knockout phase of the competition when they face Group D’s bottom side Canada on Tuesday.
“Reaching the quarter-finals would be a huge achievement in our history and in our country,” Shime told BBC Sport Africa.
“To win on Tuesday will be a turning point for women’s football in Tanzania.
“The federation and the government are pushing women’s football because they have seen that the women’s teams can do better than the men. We hope that this tournament will increase support in Tanzania.”
Last year, Tanzania’s first female President Samia Suluhu Hassan was roundly criticised for saying the country’s female footballers had “flat chests” and were unattractive for marriage.
In the East African country, where nearly two-thirds of the population identify as Christian and a third as Muslim, attitudes towards girls playing football often remain conservative.
“In some parts of our country, parents don’t allow their girls to play football,” Shime said.
“You have to convince the parents because Islam doesn’t allow girls to play in shorts. Our team often wear long trousers in training and you must reassure the parents that the girls will cover their body parts according to their religion.”
Tanzania are hoping to join Nigeria in the quarter-finals, after the Flamingos beat Chile 2-1 on Monday to qualify as Group B runners-up.
Despite the challenges, the domestic women’s game in Tanzania is beginning to enjoy significant growth.
Domestic champions Simba Queens, winners of the 12-team Women’s Premier League, will represent the East Africa region at this month’s 2022 Women’s Champions League in Morocco.
Shime says that Simba Queens scout players from smaller clubs or from schools, as Yanga Princess also do, so prompting the coach to call for change.
“We have to convince them to start youth teams,” Shime added.
“Our competitiveness is growing, players are improving and our national teams have seven players playing abroad.”
Tanzania’s lofty ambition is not restricted to the ongoing tournament in India, as the country sets its sights on reaching the U20 World Cup, the Olympic Games and ultimately the senior World Cup.
As invited guests, the senior women’s national team – nicknamed the Twiga Stars – won the 2021 Cosafa Women’s Championship for the first time, defeating Malawi 1-0 in the final, but they have never qualified for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon).
“To play in the Wafcon is our goal,” Shime said.
“We have missed out on the 2023 World Cup and we are minding our step, but we plan to be there in 2027.”
Watershed moment in India
Bakari Shime says his players put in an improved performance against France
While the future can wait, Tanzania need a result from their final Group D match against regular campaigners Canada to progress to the last eight of the tournament.
The side paid for their naivety in their opener against Japan after Neema Kinega was sent off midway through the first half.
But they bounced back as Diana Mnally, who is still just 16, scored Tanzania’s first goal at a Fifa competition against France, and Christer Bahera’s second-half penalty doubled the lead before the Europeans pulled one back.
The squad celebrated their historic victory with their families, who were cheering them on from the stands.
“It was very tough against Japan, who played very with a high press. They didn’t give us time and space,” Shime explained.
“The red card confused my players a lot. We learned a lot from that game and we tried to correct some mistakes. France pressured us in the second half, but we held on.
“It will be 50-50 against Canada.”
Africa’s third team at the finals – Morocco – can qualify for the last eight if they beat the United States on Monday in their final Group A game.
Source: BBC
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