Tanzania head coach explains squad rotation in CECAFA U20 final defeat

Tanzania coach Mario Rivera has defended his decision to rotate the squad heavily in the CECAFA U20 final, with Bashiri Salum, Abdulnassir “Casemiro” Abdallah and Faraji Kayanda starting on the bench.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsThe Spaniard said the demands of the tournament meant he had to trust the depth of his squad.Tanzania coach reveals key to earning U20 AFCON ticket against Burundi“We play a high-intensity game and we have 25 players who we trust can deliver what we want,” he said.He also looked beyond the disappointment of finishing second, saying the young squad has time to develop before the 2027 U20 AFCON in Ghana.##NAJAVA_MECA_9980514##The coach said he has faith in the players and believes they can continue improving and produce a performance that Tanzanian fans will be proud of at the continental tournament.Captain Arafat Masoud refused to make excuses for the result, despite Tanzania enjoying the larger share of possession and creating several chances.Tanzania's 'Casemiro' hungry for more despite U20 AFCON qualification“It was simply not our day,” Masoud said.“Football is like that, especially when you play against teams that have prepared as well as the teams that played against us have.”##NAJAVA_MECA_9980517##Tanzania had already secured their place at the 2027 U20 AFCON after beating Burundi 2-0 in the semi-final, with Juma Abushiri and Faraji Kayanda scoring the goals.They now turn their attention to preparations for Ghana, taking the lessons from the CECAFA campaign into their continental assignment.Sudan edge hosts Tanzania on penalties to clinch maiden CECAFA U20 titleTanzania also received the Fair Play Award. Shabani Bakari was named Best Goalkeeper, while Burundi’s Amini Nshimirimana finished as Top Scorer and Sudan’s Mazin Fadul was named Best Player.Sudan won the tournament, Tanzania finished second, and Uganda took third.