By Victoria GodfreyTanzania Breweries Limited (TBL), through its iconic Safari Lager brand, has unveiled a squad of 22 players who will represent the Safari Champions team in the final of the 2025 Safari Lager Cup.
The players were selected from a nationwide talent search conducted in the regions of Mbeya, Arusha, Mwanza, and Dar es Salaam.
This initiative targeted young footballers aged between 18 and 24, outside the traditional professional club system, offering them a unique platform to showcase their skills.
The final match will be held on July 26, 2025, at KMC Stadium in Mwenge, Dar es Salaam, where the Safari Champions will face Young Africans SC (Yanga), the reigning champions of the NBC Tanzania Premier League and holders of all domestic football titles this season.
The Safari Lager Cup, launched in 2024, aims to discover and nurture football talent from grassroots communities. The competition was held in a bonanza format under the guidance of the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF).
TBL’s Head of Marketing, Khensani Mkhombo, emphasized that the goal of the tournament was more than organizing matches.
“We wanted to create an event that transforms how football talent is discovered and celebrated. These young men were not just recruited they were seen by their coaches, fans, and communities. This is a team built by Tanzanians,” she said.
The final team was chosen based on technical abilities and community engagement, with fans also participating in the selection process through an online platform.
Yanga SC has joined hands with TBL to support the Safari Lager Cup, reaffirming its commitment to developing local football.
Yanga’s Media and Communication Manager, Ally Kamwe, said the club is proud to be part of a project that brings football back to the people.
“This is not just a game it’s a story we proudly join. We believe in football’s power to connect generations,” Kamwe noted.
The final Safari Champions squad includes goalkeepers Edward Maheri Mjanja (Arusha) and Lupakisyo Mwakyando (Dar es Salaam); defenders Seleman Mangoma, Sadala Sabula, Abdoun Ibrahim, Paul Michael Kona, Ally Omari Manzi, Rashidi Fumbwe, Izirael Onesmo Lyimo, and Japhet Joakim Gabriel; midfielders Yasin Y. Chondi, Mickdady Fales Mgeta, David T. Kombe, Mahenga G. Komakoma, Robert Mwakyeja, Godfrey C. Kapira, Adam Shingini, and Herry Sanga; and forwards Petro Paul, Said Bakari, Maximilian Felix Kasisi, and Paschal Joseph Elias.
The Safari Lager Cup has become a key fixture in Tanzania’s sporting calendar and remains one of the few platforms dedicated to discovering and uplifting football talent beyond the country’s professional leagues.
The upcoming final promises to be a thrilling showcase of youthful talent and a celebration of football’s unifying spirit in Tanzania.