U17 AFCON: Tanzania set up final with Senegal after eliminating Egypt

Tanzania secured a historic place in the final of the TotalEnergies CAF Under 17 Africa Cup of Nations after defeating Egypt 4-3 on penalties following a goalless semi-final clash on Thursday in Rabat, Morocco.

The encounter at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium proved to be a tense and closely fought battle, with both teams struggling to create clear scoring opportunities throughout the 90 minutes.

Egypt came closest to breaking the deadlock late in the second half when Daniel Tamer unleashed a powerful strike, but Tanzania goalkeeper Haji Abdallah produced an excellent save to keep the scores level. At the other end, Egypt goalkeeper Malek Amr also made an important stop to deny Tanzania and force the game into penalties.

With neither side able to find a breakthrough in normal time, the match was ultimately decided from the spot. Tanzania held their composure during the shootout, converting four of their five penalties to claim victory and book a place in the final for the first time in the nation’s history.

Despite the disappointment, Egypt can take positives from an impressive tournament campaign that also secured qualification for the 2026 FIFA Under-17 World Cup. The Pharaohs had reached the semi-finals of the competition for the first time since 2003.

Tanzania will now face Senegal in the final after the defending champions edged hosts Morocco 7-6 on penalties in another dramatic semi-final encounter.