Serengeti Boys Arrive in Morocco with Eyes Set on U-17 World Cup Qualification

Tanzania’s U-17 national football team, the Serengeti Boys, has arrived in Morocco for the 2025 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), with head coach Aggrey Morris outlining his goals for World Cup qualification.

Aggrey Morris has enormous faith in his team, as the preparations they have undertaken have been extensive. He emphasized that the main objective is to qualify for the U-17 World Cup, set to take place in Qatar later this year.

The Serengeti Boys arrived in Morocco after completing their final preparations in Egypt.

“The Egyptian camp was extremely successful for us. The boys played several friendly matches, which helped them gain valuable experience and build physical fitness. Now we are ready to compete and achieve our goal of qualifying for the World Cup,” said Aggrey Morris.

The Serengeti Boys have been placed in Group A alongside hosts Morocco, Zambia, and East African rivals Uganda.

The top two teams from the group will advance to the quarter-finals, where the battle for World Cup qualification will be at stake for these footballing giants.

“We know we are in a tough group, but we have hope for success. Our goal is to reach the quarter-finals, which will guarantee us a spot in the World Cup. Tanzanians should believe in their young players. We are prepared, and every player is ready to fight for every match ahead,” Coach Aggrey Morris emphasized.

Tanzania’s team will kick off their U-17 Afcon campaign against Zambia on March 31 at 11:00 PM East African Time (EAT) at El Bachir Stadium, Casablanca.

Their second match will be against Uganda on April 3, starting at 3:00 AM EAT, before concluding their group stage matches against hosts Morocco on April 6 at 4:00 AM EAT.

All three group games will be played at El Bachir Stadium.

The 2025 U-17 Afcon features 16 teams, divided into four groups of four teams each. The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals. The eight teams that reach this stage will automatically secure a place in the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Here’s how the groups are structured:

The Serengeti Boys are making their third appearance in the U-17 Afcon, having participated in 2017 and 2019.

On both occasions, they failed to progress past the group stage and missed out on a World Cup qualification.

However, this time, Morris and his team are determined to make history by becoming the first Tanzanian U-17 squad to qualify for the global tournament.

With their final preparations complete and their ambitions set high, the Serengeti Boys are now eager to showcase their strength on the pitch and fight for a place among Africa’s best young footballing nations.

Will the Serengeti Boys be able to show their resilience in this tournament?