RABAT: SERENGETI Boys booked their place in the Under-17 AFCON final after defeating Egypt 4-3 in a penalty shootout following a goalless draw in regulation time at Stade Prince Moulay Hassan in Rabat, Morocco, on Thursday.
Tanzania goalkeeper Haji Abdallah emerged as the hero after saving penalties from Mohamed Nour and Abdallah Elmokadm to guide his side into the final. Erick Yusuph, Idrisa Kilendemo, Kassim Juma and Luquman Mbalasalu converted their spot-kicks for Tanzania.
Tanzania will face the winner of the second semi-final between hosts Morocco and Senegal. It was an intense contest that saw both sides battle strongly in midfield, with clear chances limited throughout the match before Tanzania held their nerve in the penalty shootout.
Serengeti Boys relied on long and diagonal passes to switch play in search of openings against Egypt’s organised defence.
However, Egypt remained compact at the back, forcing much of the game to be played in midfield rather than in the final third. Egypt created the clearest chance in the 20th minute when Khaled Mousa struck a low effort from range, but Serengeti Boys goalkeeper Haji Abdallah was wellpositioned to make the save.
As the tempo increased, the match produced more fouls in midfield, with neither side able to make a breakthrough before the interval. Ahmed Safwat of Egypt and Tanzania’s Hamis Mihambo were both shown yellow cards.
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The intensity remained high after the break, with Egypt conceding free-kicks in dangerous areas during the 50th and 53rd minutes. Omar Fouda was shown a yellow card for a reckless challenge on Issa Chole, underlining the physical nature of the contest.
Although the resulting freekicks failed to produce a goal, they troubled the Egyptian defence. In the 63rd minute, Tanzania’s Luqman Mbalasalu was booked after fouling Egyptian defender Yassin Elkhodary.
Tanzania looked more energetic in the second half, pressing higher and showing better transitions than Egypt, while also moving the ball more effectively. As the minutes ticked away, the match grew more intense, with both sides pressing aggressively in search of a breakthrough.
Egypt came close in the 75th minute when Daniel Abouelzein fired on target, but the Tanzania goalkeeper reacted well to deny the effort. Serengeti Boys nearly found the breakthrough in the 82nd minute through Hassan Kizinga, who came on in the second half to replace Hamis Mihambo.
Kizinga unleashed a powerful strike, but Egyptian goalkeeper Mohamed Abeid reacted well to keep his side level. With neither side able to find the decisive goal, the match ended in a goalless draw and headed to a penalty shootout.