Tanzania has finally broken its long wait for a place in the FEASSSA boys’ football semi-finals, with Morogoro Secondary School and Mbeya Day Secondary School making history on Wednesday at the ongoing Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association Games in Morogoro.The breakthrough came 24 years after the regional secondary school championships, launched in 2002, with Tanzanian boys teams previously unable to progress to the penultimate stage of the competition.##NAJAVA_MECA_9902119##Playing in front of a passionate home crowd, Morogoro Secondary School sparked the celebrations at Ujenzi Playground after eliminating Ugandan powerhouse Amus College School 2-1 on penalties following a goalless draw in regulation time.It was a tense, end-to-end encounter in which both teams created openings but neither could find the decisive touch in front of goal, sending the quarter-final into a penalty shootout that would ultimately belong to the hosts.Morogoro goalkeeper Ezekiel F. Ezekiel emerged as the hero, producing three saves as the Tanzanian side held its nerve to secure a historic victory.Mathias Kasadha, Roy Olara and Musa Suuna all saw their penalties saved, while only Ijosiga Mudasir converted for Amus College.The hosts also endured their own anxious moments from the spot, with Bakari Kiiko, Boniface Mkami and Stephano L. Stephano failing to beat Amus goalkeeper Usama Chagamo.The decisive kicks, however, went Tanzania’s way as the home side completed one of the biggest upsets of the tournament.The celebrations had barely settled before another Tanzanian side followed in Morogoro’s footsteps at Highland Sports Complex.FEASSSA: Team Kenya captain Garcia turns injury setbacks into a dream of becoming a nurseMbeya Day Secondary School eliminated Uganda’s Kyadondo Secondary School 4-2 on penalties after another goalless quarter-final.It gave Tanzania two representatives in the last four and guaranteeing the hosts their best-ever showing in boys’ football at the regional games.The two victories have changed the complexion of a competition that has traditionally been dominated by Ugandan and Kenyan schools.Morogoro Secondary School will now face Rwanda’s CGF Kigali in the semifinal.The Rwandan side eliminated Tanzania’s Urambo Day 3-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in regular time.The other semi-final will pit Mbeya Day against Ugandan giants St. Mary’s Kitende, who ended the run of Tanzania’s Nsumba Secondary School with a narrow 1-0 victory in the final quarter-final.FEASSSA: Musingu diehard fan Lijembe examines what went wrong for Kenyan football sides in MorogoroThe historic progress of the two Tanzanian schools has also guaranteed that a new boys’ football champion will be crowned after defending champions Bukedea Comprehensive School of Uganda failed to progress from the group stage.For the hosts, the achievement has opened the door to an even bigger prize.Morogoro and Mbeya Day are now only victory away from taking Tanzania into its first FEASSSA boys’ football finalThe milestone has added another layer of excitement to games that have brought together more than 8,000 participants from hosts Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi, with the East African Development Bank joining the competition as a new partner.##NAJAVA_MECA_9901535##Uganda, the reigning overall champion, remains a major force across the wider games, but Tanzania’s football breakthrough has provided the clearest sign yet that the balance of power in East African school football could be shifting.The FEASSSA Games features:football, netball, athletics, cross country, hockey, rugby sevens and 15s, cricket, baseball and softball, lacrosse, chess and scrabble.Thursday,20 August, will serve as a rest day before the football semi-finals are played on Friday, with the finals and official closing ceremony scheduled for Saturday.
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