Tanzania’s U-20 women’s national team, Tanzanite Queens, will play two international friendly matches in Poland as part of their final preparations for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, which kicks off on September 5.
The team departed Tanzania yesterday, August 28, for Poland, where they will compete against some of the world’s top youth sides in the tournament.
Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) Director of National Teams Almasi Kasongo said the Tanzanite Queens will first face the United States on September 1, with a second friendly still being finalised.
Speaking after visiting the Polish Embassy in Tanzania ahead of the team’s departure, Kasongo said the warm-up matches would give the technical bench an opportunity to assess the squad and make final adjustments before the tournament begins.
“These matches will be an important test for the team, particularly the technical bench, as they will help us identify areas that need improvement before the World Cup,” Kasongo said.
He acknowledged the difficulty of Tanzania’s group, which includes Brazil and Canada, but insisted that the team would not travel merely to make up the numbers.
“Our group is difficult because we have Brazil and Canada, but we are going there to compete and fight for our country. We want to secure a good position that will make Tanzanians proud,” he said.
Kasongo expressed confidence in the technical bench, saying it had used nearly a month of camp to prepare the players for the demands of the global tournament.
“I believe the technical bench has done its job during the nearly one month of preparations. These matches will now give us a chance to measure our readiness and make the necessary improvements,” he said.
The World Cup will provide Tanzanite Queens with an opportunity to test themselves against some of the strongest youth teams in women’s football, with the technical bench expected to use the remaining days to sharpen the squad ahead of their opening match.
Kasongo also thanked the government, under President Samia Suluhu Hassan, for financing the team’s preparations and facilitating the participation of the players and technical staff through the Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports.
He further thanked the Polish Embassy in Tanzania for its support in facilitating visa arrangements for the delegation ahead of the team’s departure.
With the World Cup fast approaching, the two friendly matches will be crucial in giving Tanzanite Queens competitive exposure while allowing the technical bench to fine-tune its strategy, combinations and overall approach before the tournament gets underway.