TotalEnergies CAF U17 Africa Cup of Nations | Final | Tuesday, 2 June 2026 Moulay El Hassan Stadium, Rabat, Morocco
Tanzania gave everything. Every last drop. For 64 minutes they held a lead against the defending champions, the most technically gifted youth side on the continent, in front of a crowd that had not come to watch them win.
Then Ibrahima Dione came on and changed it all.
The final ended 1-1. Senegal won 4-2 on penalties. Champions again. Second U17 AFCON title. Tanzania go home heartbroken but with their heads held higher than any Tanzanian youth team ever has.
This was history regardless of the result. The Serengeti Boys had never reached a final at this level before. They had beaten Egypt on penalties in the semi-finals after a goalless draw — goalkeeper Hadji Abdallah producing save after save across that shootout. They had conceded barely anything all tournament. And in the final, against Senegal, they actually scored first.
Hamis Chenga. Seventh minute. He picked up a loose ball in midfield from a high press, drove forward with pace and direction, and unleashed a precise shot from the edge of the area that beat Assane Sarr at the near post. The Tanzanian bench erupted. The players mobbed each other. Nobody had expected this.
Senegal had 52% possession, 17 shots to Tanzania’s six, and all the pressure you would expect from a side that had beaten Morocco 7-6 on penalties in the semi-final and knew exactly how to grind results out of difficult games. But Tanzania’s defensive structure was extraordinary. Coach Elieneza Nsanganzelu had set them up to absorb and hit. Ibrahima Sow came close midway through the first half with a smart effort — Abdullahi got across and saved brilliantly. That was the best they could produce before the break.
Half-time: Tanzania 1-0 Senegal. The most unlikely scoreline of the tournament.
The second half was all Senegal pressure. Their players moved the ball quickly, tried combination play in tight areas, and slowly began finding gaps in Tanzania’s shape. Souleymane Commissaire Faye — their best creative player throughout — drove a free kick into the box in the 64th minute. Tanzania goalkeeper Abdullahi got his hands to it but could not hold it. Dione — on as a substitute, fresh legs in the right place at the right moment — turned the loose ball in from close range. 1-1.
The last 26 minutes produced chances on both sides. Tanzania nearly retook the lead twice — Chenga again involved, driving at goal and forcing Sarr into a full-length save. Senegal went close at the other end through Mouhamed Wagne. Neither side could find the winner. Penalties.
It went to spot kicks. Again. This Senegal side had already won shootouts against Mali in the quarters and Morocco in the semis. They knew the routine. Goalkeeper Assane Sarr — their hero throughout — was the difference again.
Senegal’s penalty sequence was flawless. Faye, Sadio, Dione and Thior — all four converted. Tanzania scored through Usuph and Mbegelendi but missed two others. Final result: Senegal 4-2 Tanzania on penalties.
The trophy went back to Dakar for the second time. First in 2023, now 2026. Coach Lamine Sané, whose nickname for Dione was reportedly “Vampire” given his habit of coming off the bench and killing games, saw his substitute win them the title again. The man came on, equalised, then converted his penalty. Script written for him.
For Tanzania, the pain is real but the achievement is enormous. The Serengeti Boys leave Morocco 2026 having reached their first final, qualified for the FIFA U-17 World Cup and shown that East African football can compete with the continent’s strongest youth sides. That is not nothing. That is a program-changing result. Abdullahi was exceptional throughout the tournament. Chenga scored when it mattered most. Nsanganzelu built a team that believed it could beat anyone.
Both nations now head to the FIFA U17 World Cup in Qatar. They will represent Africa alongside Egypt, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Algeria, Mali, Mozambique and Uganda. Tanzania will go as the team no one expected and everyone will now have to watch.
Senegal go as champions. Again.
For live AFCON U17 scores and youth football coverage, visit fawanews.org.uk. Full results and bracket details at the official CAF website.
Tanzania U17 1-1 Senegal U17 (Senegal win 4-2 on penalties) TotalEnergies CAF U17 AFCON Final | Tuesday, 2 June 2026 Moulay El Hassan Stadium, Rabat, Morocco
Goals: Hamis Chenga 7′ (Tanzania), Ibrahima Dione 64′ (Senegal, sub)
Penalties: Tanzania — Usuph (scored), miss, Mbegelendi (scored), miss | Senegal — Faye (scored), Sadio (scored), Dione (scored), Thior (scored) | Result: 4-2 to Senegal
Stats: Possession Tanzania 48% — Senegal 52% | Shots 6-17 | Half-time: 1-0
