Safari Lager has launched its third Safari Lager Cup season with a nationwide search for 22 young footballers who will form a team to face Young Africans SC (Yanga) early next year.
The campaign, launched through the “Nameless Jersey” initiative, is targeting players aged 18 to 21 and seeks to identify talent that may otherwise remain outside the country’s conventional football recruitment system.
The 22 players selected at the end of the process will form the Safari Lager Champions team and play against Yanga on January 30, 2027.
One of the players will also be given an opportunity to attend trials at Yanga, where he will be assessed in a competitive football environment. However, organisers stressed that the trial will not guarantee a contract with the club.
The initiative will rely partly on local football fans, who will serve as “Champion Scouts” by recommending talented players from their communities for consideration.
Tanzania Breweries Limited (TBL) Head of Marketing Khensani Mkhombo said communities often know talented footballers who have yet to attract the attention of professional clubs or established scouting networks.
“Safari Lager Cup is about giving players a platform to be seen, while the Nameless Jersey represents an opportunity waiting for a player who has not yet been discovered,” she said.
The first stage will involve regional football bonanzas in Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza and Mbeya, with 80 teams expected to participate—20 from each region.
Registration runs from October 6 to 24, with eligible players required to be aged between 18 and 21 and register as part of an 11-player team.
The first bonanza will be held at Sokoine Stadium in Mbeya on October 25, followed by Nyamagana in Mwanza on November 7.
The Arusha event is scheduled for November 21 at AIM Sports Grounds, subject to confirmation, while the Dar es Salaam bonanza will take place at KMC Stadium on December 5.
Technical scouts will assess players individually during the bonanzas, focusing on technical ability, understanding of their positions, decision-making, discipline, coachability and their ability to perform under pressure.
Players who impress at the regional level will progress through additional technical assessments before the final 22 are selected.
The organisers said the initiative is intended to widen access to talent identification by reaching players in communities that are often missed by traditional scouting systems.
For the selected players, the programme will provide an opportunity to compete in a high-profile match against Yanga, while the trial opportunity could offer one player a further route into professional football.
The campaign comes as Tanzania continues to seek ways of strengthening pathways for young footballers to move from grassroots football into competitive and professional environments.