Young Africans SC midfielder Issa Abushiri has been called up to the Tanzania U23 squad coached by head coach Ahmad Ally as part of preparations for the second-leg match against Kenya U23 in the 2027 AFCON U23 qualifying campaign.
The decision to add Abushiri comes after Tanzania U23 suffered a heavy defeat in the first leg, losing 4-1 to Kenya. The result has left Tanzania facing a difficult task in the second leg, with the team needing a significant result to overturn the goal deficit created by the Kenyans.
Abushiri, who has also been part of the Tanzania U20 squad, is expected to add strength, pace and creativity to the midfield. Coach Ahmad Ally could use the midfielder as part of his plans to improve the team’s performance, particularly after the weaknesses exposed in the first leg.
For Tanzania, the second leg will be crucial because of the size of the goal deficit. The team will need to adopt an attacking approach while also ensuring that Kenya do not get opportunities to extend their advantage from the first match.
The addition of Abushiri, together with other possible changes by the technical bench, gives Tanzania renewed hope ahead of the match. Attention now turns to the final preparations, with Ahmad Ally expected to build a squad capable of overturning the first-leg result and keeping Tanzania’s hopes of qualifying for the 2027 AFCON U23 alive.
