TANZANIA U-20 national football team head coach Boniface Mkwasa has shared insights on his team's struggles in their 2-1 loss to Kenya in the first AFCON U-20 qualifier match played at the KMC Complex on Saturday.

Kenya's Rising Stars secured the win with goals from Kevin Wangaya in the 23rd minute and Andreas Odhiambo in the 66th minute. Tanzania's Ngorongoro Boys managed to pull one back through Rahim Shomare in the 76th minute but could not overturn the result.

The Ngorongoro Boys faced difficulties maintaining possession, especially in the first half, as Kenya's Rising Stars controlled much of the game. 

The situation improved for Tanzania in the second half, with the team adopting a more direct playing style using long balls, which created problems for Kenya’s defense. 

Rising Stars' head coach, Salim Babu, acknowledged that his team struggled to deal with Tanzania's physicality and long-ball tactics in the later stages of the match.

Addressing the media after the game, Coach Mkwasa explained that nerves and inexperience among his players were key factors in the loss.

“We will approach the match against Djibouti the same way, but we hope to have shaken off the doubt and fear that affected us in this game. Many of our players are experiencing this level of competition for the first time, so we expect them to be more settled in our second match,” Mkwasa said.

The veteran coach, who previously managed Tanzania’s senior national team, also praised Kenya for their performance.

“The game was good, and I congratulate Kenya, who have a very strong team. They caught us on the counterattack at home, but that’s the nature of football,” he noted.

Looking ahead, Mkwasa is determined to correct the mistakes made in the opening game as the team prepares for their next match against Djibouti. 

He emphasized the importance of learning from the loss and making necessary improvements.

“We will go back to the training pitch and try to fix the errors we made in this match,” he added.

The Ngorongoro Boys will face Djibouti today at the KMC Complex, hoping to secure their first win in the AFCON U-20 qualifiers and keep their hopes of reaching the continental tournament alive.