The Tanzania Football Federation for People with Disabilities (TAFF) is stepping up efforts to open more opportunities for women with disabilities to participate in football, develop their talents and compete for national honours.
The federation has launched a 14-day development programme aimed at identifying and nurturing women footballers with disabilities, with the ultimate goal of forming a national women’s amputee football team capable of competing in international tournaments.
TAFF Technical Director Shaban Msangi said the initiative was designed to address the limited opportunities available to women with disabilities in sports compared with their male counterparts.
Speaking to The Respondent Online, Msangi said the programme would give women with disabilities an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities while building their confidence and skills through football.
He said the initiative was also intended to create a pathway for talented players to represent Tanzania internationally, including at the World Cup expected to be held in Poland next year.
“After the programme, we expect to form a national women’s team that will participate in various international competitions, including the World Cup expected to be held in Poland next year,” Msangi said.
He stressed that disability should not be a barrier to achieving sporting ambitions, calling for greater support from stakeholders to ensure talented women are not left behind because of financial and logistical challenges.
Msangi said one of the major challenges facing the programme was the cost of transporting and supporting players travelling from different regions, urging stakeholders and well-wishers to contribute towards the initiative.
Coach of Tanzania’s football teams for people with disabilities, Abdul Mashine, said low participation during the women’s amputee football training programme remained a concern and could affect preparations for the national team.
Mashine said only 15 players had so far been identified, despite the recruitment process being announced nearly two months ago.
He said the 14-day programme starts with players being introduced to the proper use of crutches, focusing on movement, balance and coordination before progressing to football-specific skills.
The players will subsequently undergo training in basic football techniques, including passing, dribbling, ball control, shooting and turning, before being introduced to the team’s overall playing system.
However, Mashine said the absence of a residential training camp was another obstacle, as players currently travel from their homes to attend training, sometimes arriving late at the training ground.
He said securing funding for a training camp would allow the players to stay together and train twice a day, giving coaches more time to develop their technical and physical abilities within the 14-day period.
The programme represents an important step towards making football more inclusive in Tanzania, particularly by ensuring that women with disabilities have access to structured training and opportunities to compete.
For the players, the initiative could provide more than just a chance to play football—it could offer a pathway to confidence, economic and social empowerment, national representation and the opportunity to prove that disability does not define the limits of their dreams.