Tanzania will face Brazil, England and Canada in the group stage of the Women’s U20 World Cup after qualifying for the tournament for the first time in their history.
The Tanzanian side secured its place by eliminating Cameroon and will now begin its campaign against three of the competition’s most established teams. Their opening match will be against Brazil, before encounters with England and Canada complete the first-round schedule.
Tanzania’s first match in Poland will be a demanding test against Brazil on 5 September. Brazil have appeared at the Women’s U20 World Cup 12 times, although they have yet to win the competition. Their best finishes came in 2006 and 2022, when they claimed third place.
That experience gives Brazil a significant advantage on paper as Tanzania prepare for their first appearance on the world stage. The match will also mark the beginning of what could become a landmark tournament for the East African nation.
Tanzania will then meet England in their second group-stage fixture on 8 September. England have made six appearances at the competition, fewer than Brazil, but they have already reached the semi-finals. They also finished with bronze medals at the 2018 edition.
The final first-round match for Bakari Shime’s players will be against Canada on 11 September. Canada were runners-up in 2002 and have already taken part in nine editions of the tournament. The upcoming competition will be their 10th appearance.
The three opponents therefore bring considerable experience of the Women’s U20 World Cup, while Tanzania will be competing at the tournament for the first time. Their qualification was achieved after they defeated Cameroon, setting up a challenging route through the opening round.
Tanzania’s schedule for the first round is:
– 5 September, 13:00: Brazil v Tanzania
– 8 September, 16:00: England v Tanzania
– 11 September, 13:00: Tanzania v Canada
The opening fixture against Brazil will begin Tanzania’s historic Polish adventure, followed by matches against England and Canada. The team will be aiming to make an impression despite facing opponents with a long record of participation and previous success in the competition.