ABIDJAN (Reuters) – Four players from non-league clubs in England have been included in Tanzania’s 27-man squad for the Africa Cup of Nations finals in the Ivory Coast.
Tanzania made no formal announcement of their squad but it was released on Sunday by the Confederation of African Football, one week ahead of the kick off of the tournament.
Haji Mnoga, on loan from home town club Portsmouth at Aldershot and a former England under-17 international, was named along with Tarryn Allarakhia from Wealdstone, also in the National League, The 26-year-old Allarakhia previously played in League Two with Crawley Town.
Somali-born Mohammed Sagaf plays at Boreham Wood while
21-year-old Ben Starkie, who won two caps for Tanzania in friendlies last March, turns out for Derbyshire-based Ilkeston Town of the Northern Premier League Premier Division, on a dual registration with National League North side Alfreton Town.
Also named by coach Adel Amrouche was 20-year-old Dutch-born defender Miano van den Bos from Villena in the sixth tier of Spanish football and goalkeeper Kwesi Kawawa, whose club Karlslund play fourth division football in Sweden. He debuted for Tanzania in November’s World Cup qualifiers.
Tanzania, competing at only their third Cup of Nations, are in Group F where they take on Morocco, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. They are preparing for the tournament in Egypt where they play their hosts in a friendly international on Sunday.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Beno Kakolanya (Singida Fountain Gate), Kwesi Kawawa (Karlslund), Aishi Manula (Simba)
Defenders: Abdi Banda (Richards Bay), Ibrahim Hamad (Young Africans), Mohamed Hussein (Simba), Dickson Job (Young Africans), Haji Mnoga (Aldershot Town), Lusajo Mwaikenda (Azam), Bakari Mwamnyeto (Young Africans), Novatus Miroshi (Shaktar Donetsk), Miano van den Bos (Villena), Abdulmalik Zakaria (Namungo)
Midfielders: Morice Abraham (Spartak Subotica), Tarryn Allarakhia (Wealdstone), Sospeter Bajana (Azam), Kibu Denis (Simba), Himid Mao (Tala’ea El Geish), Mohammed Sagaf (Boreham Wood), Feisal Salum (Azam), Mudathiri Yahya (Young Africans), Mzamiru Yassin (Simba)
Forwards: Cyprian Kachwele (Vancouver Whitecaps), Charles M’mombwa (Macarthur), Simon Msuva (JS Kabylie), Mbwana Samatta (PAOK Salonika), Ben Starkie (Ikestown Town).
(Reporting by Mark Gleeson)