Category: The Citizen

Dar es Salaam. In line with efforts to promote the development of sports in the country, as championed by the Minister for Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Paul Makonda, Monti International School has announced a 10 day high performance swimming camp to be held in Dar es Salaam.

The camp, which will run from May 5 to May 14, 2026, will take place at the school’s Mikocheni campus and will be led by renowned American coach Austin Pillado. Pillado, currently the associate head coach of the women’s swimming team at Washington State University, was part of the technical bench that guided a title winning team at the National Collegiate Athletic Association championships in 2024 during his time at Arizona State University.

His experience working with Olympic champions and world record holders is expected to add value to the growth of swimming in Tanzania, particularly among young athletes. Monti International School founder and director Fatma Fernandes said the initiative is aimed at raising the standard of local swimmers to match global levels.

She said bringing in elite coaches offers young athletes access to professional training methods and performance analysis similar to those used by top international competitors. The camp will introduce advanced training tools, including underwater camera technology that provides real time feedback to help swimmers refine their techniques.

Participants will also attend sessions on race strategy, nutrition and the modern “Fifth Stroke” concept, which focuses on improving efficiency and overall performance in competitive swimming. Organisers said the programme is modelled on training systems used by universities competing under the NCAA, with emphasis on mastering the four main swimming strokes while improving endurance and speed.

The school noted that its investment in sports infrastructure, including a 25 metre Olympic standard swimming pool, is intended to support both students and the wider community. The camp is expected to attract participants from across East Africa, with limited slots available to allow close monitoring and personalised development.

The initiative is seen as a step forward in efforts to strengthen Tanzania’s presence in international swimming while supporting the broader goal of nurturing talent and enhancing competitiveness in sports. .

Dar es Salaam. When leaders at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) recently urged academic staff to prioritise artificial intelligence (AI) in their daily work, the message went beyond one institution in Tanzania.

It captured a growing global reality: university lecturers must adapt to fast-moving digital change or risk losing relevance Opening a Special Staff Council meeting, UDSM Council Deputy Chairperson Moremi Marwa made the position clear. AI, he said, is no longer optional but central to improving efficiency, service delivery and institutional decision-making.

“In an era of rapid change, technology, especially AI–plays a critical role in simplifying work and improving how institutions operate,” he noted. Across higher education systems worldwide, AI is rapidly becoming embedded in teaching, research and administration.

From automated marking tools to generative AI platforms that can produce essays and code, the academic landscape is changing faster than many anticipated. According to UNESCO, universities must now rethink how knowledge is delivered, assessed and validated in the age of AI.

The organisation warns that digital skills are no longer an added advantage, they are essential. For lecturers, this creates both urgency and responsibility.

Graduates are entering a labour market where AI is already shaping industries, from finance and health to media and education itself. If teaching methods remain unchanged, universities risk producing graduates who are out of step with workplace realities.

The UDSM leadership is aligning this push with long-term reforms. Vice Chancellor William Anangisye underscored that digital transformation sits at the heart of the institution’s Vision 2061 and its 20242033 Strategic Plan, signalling a deliberate shift towards a more technology-driven academic environment.

Yet what is happening at UDSM reflects a much wider trend. At the centre of this transformation is the lecturer.

AI can assist with content generation, data analysis and personalised learning. But it cannot replace the human role of guiding critical thinking, ethical judgement and contextual understanding.

“AI should enhance teaching, not replace it,” says a leading researcher in AI and education, Prof Wayne Holmes. “Educators need to be equipped to help students use these tools critically and responsibly.

” The challenge, however, is that many lecturers are still catching up. Global surveys show widespread use of AI tools among academics, but also significant uncertainty about how to apply them effectively in teaching and research.

Experts note that this gap–between access and understanding–is where lecturers must step forward. They said, rise of AI is not simply about adopting new tools.

It is reshaping the very nature of teaching. Traditional lecture-based approaches are increasingly being challenged by AI systems capable of delivering content instantly.

In this environment, the lecturer’s role is evolving–from a source of knowledge to a facilitator of deeper learning. As Professor at University College London, Rose Luckin, explains: “The real value of educators lies in helping students question, interpret and apply knowledge–skills that AI alone cannot provide.

” This means rethinking assessments, encouraging originality and teaching students how to interrogate AI-generated content. It also requires lecturers to model ethical use of technology in their own work.

For universities, the stakes are high. Institutions that fail to embrace AI risk falling behind in global rankings, research output and graduate employability.

“Those that move early can position themselves as leaders in innovation and attract partnerships, funding and talent,” Prof Luckin wrote on her LinkedIn page. UDSM’s recent push is therefore significant.

By encouraging staff to integrate AI into their work, the university is signalling its intention to remain competitive in a global knowledge economy. .

Dar es Salaam. Most mobile communication service providers in Tanzania have met quality of service standards set by the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA), reflecting strong performance in the telecom sector.

According to the latest communications sector report for the period ending December 2025, mobile network operators generally complied with regulatory benchmarks, while gaps were noted in parts of the broadcasting, postal and courier sectors. The regulator assessed mobile network operators, postal and courier companies between October and December 2025 to determine compliance with quality of service requirements.

The report shows that all five mobile network operators met required thresholds in key performance indicators, including network availability, call connection success rates and voice and data service delivery. Other indicators such as SMS delivery time, call setup time and voice quality also recorded compliance levels above 90 percent across operators.

Network availability measures the consistency of access to mobile services, while call connection success rate reflects successfully completed calls after dialling. Call drop rate measures interrupted calls due to technical faults.

Coverage assesses signal strength and service reach, while data speed measures the efficiency of internet service delivery and response times. SMS delivery time tracks how quickly messages are delivered, while call setup time measures the duration taken to establish a call, with a benchmark of under eight seconds.

Voice quality evaluates clarity during calls. Despite strong performance in telecoms, the report identified compliance gaps in other sectors.

Out of 16 television stations inspected, 12 did not adhere to their registered programming schedules, while four failed to submit schedules as required under regulations. In the radio sector, four out of 12 stations either failed to follow approved schedules or did not submit them.

However, most radio and television stations complied with broader content requirements, including providing diverse programming, airing educational content and allocating at least 90 minutes daily to news broadcasts. In the courier segment, 12 out of 20 domestic parcel service providers met same-day delivery requirements.

However, only seven out of 17 operators complied with the two-day delivery standard under a separate licence category. .

Mwanza. More than 7,000 women entrepreneurs have benefited from a financial inclusion programme after CRDB Bank Foundation announced a Sh3 billion initiative aimed at supporting women-owned businesses in Ilemela and Mwanza Region.

The programme, implemented in collaboration with Kafiti Foundation, also included the disbursement of about Sh760 million in seed capital as part of the broader empowerment package. The Mwanamke na Kafiti conference brought together women entrepreneurs from across the region and was officially opened by Mwanza Regional Commissioner Said Mtanda, who represented the Minister for Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups Dorothy Gwajima.

Mr Mtanda said women play a key role in household and national development, urging them to utilise available financial opportunities to grow their businesses. He also cautioned against excluding spouses from financial decisions, saying this could lead to household disputes when businesses face challenges.

“There are cases where loans are taken without informing partners, which later creates conflict when repayment becomes difficult,” he said. CRDB Bank Foundation Executive Director TullyEsther Mwambapa said the institution, established in 2023, focuses on expanding financial inclusion among women, youth and marginalised groups.

She said the Sh3 billion allocation will support entrepreneurs in Ilemela and across Mwanza Region through business financing and capacity-building programmes. “This initiative is designed to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses and improve their livelihoods,” she said.

Ms Mwambapa said the foundation works with partners to promote financial literacy, entrepreneurship, access to markets and business formalisation. So far, the foundation has reached more than 1.

25 million entrepreneurs across sectors including agriculture, fishing, small-scale mining, informal trade and small industries. CRDB Bank Chief Commercial Officer Boma Raballa said the bank has disbursed more than Sh513 billion in the Lake Zone, with Sh240 billion directed to Mwanza Region.

He said the bank continues to focus on reaching entrepreneurs who are outside the formal banking system. Kafiti Foundation Executive Director Mapuli Kafiti said the broader goal is to empower more than five million entrepreneurs through partnerships with key stakeholders.

Ilemela MP William Kafiti said the programme is part of ongoing efforts to improve livelihoods and strengthen economic participation among residents. .

In an increasingly competitive labour market, talent is emerging as a critical asset–enabling young people not only to secure livelihoods but also to create opportunities for others, particularly in the creative and sports industries. Yet, across Tanzania, a persistent tension remains.

For many families, nurturing talent, especially in sport and the arts, is still viewed as a distraction from academic success rather than a complementary pathway. This mindset, experts warn, risks locking out a generation of young people from opportunities that extend far beyond the classroom.

Speaking after the Uwezo Festival finals held recently in Dar es Salaam, which brought together secondary school students from the Coastal Zone through the Uwezo Bonanza and Uwezo Awards, Great Hope’s National Projects Coordinator, Noelle Mahuvi, underscored the urgency of shifting this narrative. “Some parents still show limited support when it comes to their children expressing their talents.

This discourages many young people and, ultimately, suppresses potential that could transform not only their lives but society as a whole,” she says. Ms Mahuvi’s argument is not merely anecdotal.

A growing body of global research shows that integrating play, sport, and creative arts into education significantly improves learning outcomes, employability, and social development. According to Unesco, quality physical education and school sport programmes enhance students’ cognitive performance, concentration, and academic achievement, while also building critical life skills such as teamwork, resilience, and leadership.

Similarly, Unicef highlights that structured play supports emotional well-being and helps children develop problem-solving abilities–skills that are essential in the 21st-century economy. Since 2016, Great Hope has been working with secondary schools through initiatives such as Uwezo Bonanza and Uwezo Awards, reaching more than 100 schools in Dar es Salaam and the Coast Region.

The programmes identify and nurture talents in areas ranging from music, drama, and fine arts to acrobatics and fashion design. But beyond talent showcases, the initiatives are deliberately designed to embed entrepreneurship and practical learning.

“We are not just identifying talent, we are equipping students with the skills and knowledge to transform those talents into economic opportunities,” Ms Mahuvi explains. “Education is important, but so is developing what a child can do beyond the classroom.

” Through the Uwezo Awards, students design and implement entrepreneurial projects using locally available resources. The proceeds are often reinvested into community initiatives, creating a cycle of learning, innovation, and social impact.

For Form Six student Ramadhani Juma, the experience has been transformative. “I have learnt how to use resources around me to create opportunities,” he tells Smart World in an interview.

“I can now produce items like liquid soap and candles, and I understand how to run a small business.” The science of play and sport in education Education experts argue that such approaches align closely with global best practices.

Research by the World Bank shows that education systems that integrate extracurricular activities–especially sport, tend to produce more adaptable and employable graduates. An education specialist based in Dar es Salaam, Dr Asha Msuya, notes that play and sport are not peripheral–they are foundational.

“When children engage in structured play and sport, they develop executive functioning skills–planning, focus, self-control–that directly influence academic performance,” she said. “These are the same skills employers are looking for.

” A 2022 report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) further reinforces this, indicating that students who participate in sports and creative activities demonstrate higher levels of motivation, better school attendance, and stronger social connections. In Tanzania, where youth unemployment remains a pressing challenge, these findings carry particular weight.

By some estimates, hundreds of thousands of young people enter the labour market each year, many without the practical skills required to navigate it. One of the biggest barriers, however, remains societal perception.

Ms Mahuvi points out that many parents still prioritise academic performance at the expense of talent development. “We need parents to understand that talent is not a waste of time.

It is an investment,” she says. “Through talent, a child can solve real-world problems and even create employment.

” Experts agree that addressing this requires both community awareness and policy alignment. A sports development analyst, Dr Josephat Kahama, argues that Tanzania must institutionalise talent development within its education framework.

“We cannot treat sport and the arts as extracurricular luxuries,” he notes. “They must be integrated into the curriculum, supported with infrastructure, and guided by trained professionals.

” This aligns with calls for the Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, alongside education stakeholders, to establish structured talent development centres–similar to business incubation hubs–where young people can nurture their abilities from an early age. Lessons from global practice Countries that have successfully integrated sport and play into education offer valuable lessons.

In nations such as Finland and Canada, physical education and creative arts are considered core components of holistic learning. According to Unesco, such systems not only improve academic outcomes but also foster innovation and social cohesion.

Closer to home, Rwanda has made strides in embedding sports development within schools, linking it to national talent identification programmes. For Tanzania, scaling initiatives like Uwezo could have far-reaching implications.

First, it would help bridge the gap between education and employment by equipping students with practical, income-generating skills. Second, it would improve student engagement and retention, particularly for those who struggle in traditional academic settings.

Third, it would nurture a generation of confident, creative, and resilient young people. Dr Msuya believes the impact could be transformative.

“If we take talent seriously, if we invest in play, sport and creativity–we will not only improve our schools, we will reshape our economy,” she says. The road ahead Great Hope’s ambition is to expand its reach beyond the Coastal Zone, ensuring that more schools and regions benefit from its programmes.

But scaling such efforts will require collaboration between the government, development partners, schools, and communities. For now, the message is clear: classrooms alone are not enough.

As Tanzania navigates the demands of a rapidly changing world, the future of its education system may well depend on how effectively it embraces what happens beyond the desk–on the playing field, on the stage, and in the creative spaces where young minds discover who they truly are. .

Dar es Salaam. Today, April 26, 2026, the United Republic of Tanzania is commemorating a unique journey of 62 years since two independent nations, Tanganyika and Zanzibar, decided to unite and form one state.

This Union, formally established through the agreements of April 22, 1964, and ratified on April 26, 1964, under the leadership of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and Abeid Amani Karume, has continued to be among the unions that have endured for the longest time on the African continent. Throughout this period, statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), government reports, and international institutions clearly show the journey of this nation from political foundations to social and economic transformations, together with future expectations towards the year 2050. Union matters The foundation of this Union was built through the Union Instruments of the year 1964, which initially outlined 11 Union matters assigned to the Union government.

Those matters involved sensitive areas such as the Constitution, foreign affairs, defence, police, citizenship, immigration, finance, and external trade. However, as the nation grew, that list expanded and reached 22 matters according to the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania of 1977. This increase resulted from new economic and political needs, including sectors such as currency and banking, higher education, oil and gas, and the registration of political parties.

These changes occur through a special procedure that requires two-thirds of Members of Parliament from Mainland Tanzania and two-thirds from Zanzibar, a situation that demonstrates the weight of protecting the balance within the Union. Population, settlement From the population perspective, statistics show major growth in this nation.

According to the census of the year 1967, Tanzania had a population of only 12.3 million people. But, according to the Population and Housing Census of the year 2022, released by NBS, that number has increased to 61.74 million people.

Among them, Mainland Tanzania has a population of 59.85 million, while Zanzibar has 1.89 million people.

This means that within a period of 55 years, the population has increased more than fivefold. Furthermore, the rate of population growth has increased from 2.

7 percent between 2002 and 2012 to 3.2 percent per year between 2012 and 2022, a situation that continues to place pressure on social services and resources.

Likewise, the “Population Dynamics” report of NBS shows that the population could reach 118 million people by the year 2050. Alongside that population increase, there have been major changes in settlement patterns. In the year 1967, only 5.

7 percent of Tanzanians were living in urban areas. But, by the year 2022, 34.9 percent of people live in urban areas.

Zanzibar has shown a faster rate of urban growth, where 49 percent of its residents now live in urban areas. The Dar es Salaam Region leads in population size, having more than 5.

3 million people, equivalent to nearly 9 percent of all Tanzanians. These statistics indicate that by the year 2050, more than half of Tanzanians will live in urban areas, a situation that will require major investment in infrastructure and social services.

Governance, democracy, and economy In the field of governance and democracy, the Union has continued to strengthen by enhancing representation. During the period from 1967 to 1970, the Parliament of the United Republic of Tanzania operated under the Interim Constitution of 1964, having a structure of representation from Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar.

Although there are no official statistics of representatives during the Union period, the election of 1970 showed a total of 237 Members of Parliament. Among them, Mainland Tanzania had approximately 159 Members of Parliament, including constituency representatives, those appointed by the President, and members holding ex officio positions.

Zanzibar had approximately 67 Members of Parliament, many of them drawn from the Revolutionary Council and presidential appointments. That system gave Zanzibar special representation to protect political balance within the Union.

At present, the Parliament of the United Republic has a total of 393 seats according to statistics from the election of the year 2025, where electoral constituencies numbered 264. Among those, 214 are from Mainland Tanzania, and 50 are from Zanzibar. According to statistics for the year 2024/25, women Members of Parliament number 148 out of 392, equivalent to 37.8 percent.

This shows that Tanzania has surpassed the minimum threshold of 30 percent representation of women, a step interpreted as the success of gender equality policies. Economically, the Union has enabled the existence of one market and one currency system.

The Bank of Tanzania (BoT) was established in the year 1965 and began official operations in the year 1966, replacing the system of the East African Currency Board. That system has ensured financial stability and simplified economic activities between the two sides of the Union.

According to the Ministry of Finance, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reached approximately $60.5 billion (Sh151.3 trillion) in the year 2021, while various sectors such as tourism, agriculture, and services contributed significantly. Statistics also show growth in non-government sectors.

By the year 2022, Tanzania had more than 17,500 non-government organisations, which have been contributing to social and economic development in collaboration with the government. However, despite these achievements, statistics show challenges emerging as the nation grows.

The “Population Dynamics” report of NBS shows that the population could reach 118 million people by the year 2050. This increase carries major implications for key sectors. In health, demand for dispensaries is expected to increase from 7,734 in the year 2022 to more than 26,500 in the year 2050, while demand for nurses will increase more than twofold.

Operating costs of the health sector are expected to rise from Sh7.2 trillion to more than Sh36 trillion per year. In education, demand for teachers will rise sharply.

The number of primary school teachers is projected to increase from 175,687 to more than 341,000 by 2050, while secondary school teachers are expected to exceed 200,000. This means substantial investment will be required to meet the needs of the next generation. In the land and agriculture sector, the challenge appears more clearly through the distribution of resources.

In the year 2022, the average cultivable land per person was 0.70 hectares, but it is expected to decline to 0.

37 hectares by the year 2050 due to population increase. At the same time, crop production must increase nearly twofold in order to meet food demand.

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Dar es Salaam. The Union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar has already reached six decades.

If it were a working person, he would have spent two years at home after retirement. Despite that longevity, there is still debate about the Union’s strength, sustainability, and structure.

At times, this debate emerges alongside others, such as the new Constitution, the distribution of powers, and economic and political questions about how the two sides of the Union cooperate. Some see the Union as a rare example of success on the African continent, emphasising that it has withstood political turbulence, economic changes, and differences in outlook for several decades.

However, others argue that any institution that lasts for a long time requires self-assessment, self-correction, and improvement in order to match new environments. According to law, history, and Union affairs analysts, debate should not be guided by emotions, but by logic, evidence, and national evaluation.

Tanganyika and Zanzibar united on April 26, 1964, under the leadership of the Father of the Nation, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, on the side of Tanganyika, and Sheikh Abeid Amani Karume for Zanzibar. Reforms are not breaking; they are strengthening Legal and constitutional expert, Prof Adrian Mrosso, says the question of Union reforms should not be interpreted as a sign of weakness of the Union itself.

He says all constitutional systems in the world evolve through regular improvements, and the Union should not be different. Prof Mrosso sees the major question not as whether reforms are needed, but which areas require adjustment.

“The two-government system has shown great historical strength, but that strength does not remove the need to review it whenever there are operational challenges. Reforms are not breaking the Union, they are strengthening the Union,” he says.

Some areas that can be examined, he says, include transparency in the distribution of authority, management of Union matters, and resolution of recurring challenges regarding the interpretation of authority between the two sides. He warns that the debate on a three-government system should not be adopted as a quick solution before assessing whether existing challenges originate from structural defects or from the implementation of the current structure.

“Not every Union challenge requires changing the system. Others require better management, clear laws, and stronger institutions,” he stresses.

Three governments not a threat On her part, political and governance analyst, Dr Helena Rutabana says the debate on three governments should not be seen as an argument to disrupt stability, but as a structural discussion deserving careful examination. She says those who support that system often build arguments that it can provide broader distribution of authority and reduce operational conflicts that may arise within the two-government system.

“Three governments is not a concept of breaking the Union. For some analysts, it is a proposal to reorganise authority so that each side feels it has sufficient space within the shared structure,” she says.

However, she says that debate must be guided by analysis of costs, administrative efficiency, and impact on national cohesion, noting that without doing so, the discussion may remain theoretical without practical answers. She says the nation can open a professional debate about both systems without turning it into an agenda of division.

“What is important is not fearing debate, but ensuring debate produces knowledge, not panic,” she says. Researcher in political history, Prof Leonard Chavula, says the experience of many political systems worldwide shows that institutions endure not by remaining as originally established, but by their ability to adapt.

He says the Union has passed through different political and economic periods, a situation that demonstrates its capacity to endure. But the analyst says such endurance should not be taken as a reason to avoid opening debate on improvements.

“History teaches that systems which refuse to evaluate themselves begin to face internal conflicts that are not seen early. Self-evaluation is protection, not weakness,” he says.

In his view, the reform debate could begin with an assessment of Union matters, how they are reduced or retained, and whether existing mechanisms for addressing them are sufficient. He also says the younger generation needs to be involved in that debate, because many did not participate in the history of establishing the Union, but are the ones who will carry it into the future.

“A country cannot conduct tomorrow’s debate using yesterday’s language alone. History must meet expectations of the younger generation,” he stresses.

On the other hand, policy analyst, Dr Samuel Nkwabi, says the debate on two or three governments is often given greater weight than the fundamental question of institutional strength. He says a country can operate under any system, but if institutions responsible for coordination, accountability, and management are weak, challenges will persist regardless of the number of governments.

“Frequently, we discuss structure before discussing institutional capacity. That is where the debate loses professional weight,” he says.

In his view, the first reforms likely to yield results include strengthening cooperation systems, improving transparency in decisions on Union matters, and establishing strong mechanisms for resolving differences before they escalate into conflicts. He adds that the reform debate should not be reduced to a choice between two or three governments, but should instead be a broader discussion about the quality of governance.

“If you build weak institutions within three governments, you will get the same challenges. If you build strong institutions even within two governments, you can get a lasting solution,” he says.

Reforms should include the Union economy Political economy analyst, Dr Miriam Kasesela, says the Union debate often remains focused on politics and the Constitution, while overlooking the economic foundation. She says one of the key questions is whether the existing system matches the current needs of economic cooperation, trade, taxation, investment, and management of resources.

“Union reforms should not remain only in constitutional texts. They should also examine whether ordinary citizens see its benefits in their daily lives,” she says.

Therefore, she says the debate on two or three governments cannot be complete without measuring financial implications. Three governments, for example, may raise questions about operating costs, while improvements within the current system may carry lower costs.

But she says even if the current system continues, there is a need to strengthen areas of economic cooperation so that the Union is seen more as an instrument of development. “A lasting Union does not depend on history alone, but one that is seen to deliver value for citizens of today,” she says.

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Ten-man Al-Ahli retained the Asian Champions League Elite title on Saturday as Feras Al-Brikan’s extra-time strike earned the Saudi Pro League side a 1-0 win over Japan’s Machida Zelvia at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium. Matthias Jaissle’s side became only the second team to retain the trophy in the Asian Champions League era after cross-Jeddah rivals Al-Ittihad in 2005, having seen Zakaria Hawsawi sent off in the 68th minute.

Al-Ahli held out despite being outnumbered to take the match into an additional 30 minutes and substitute Al-Brikan struck from close range after a Riyad Mahrez cross to give his team back-to-back titles. “It’s amazing.

We’re so happy. It was difficult for us again.

We like to make it difficult for ourselves. Ten against 11 is nearly impossible, I don’t know how we found the strength and the energy but we’ve done it and we’re happy,” Mahrez said.

“After the red card we stuck together, we fought more, we ran more until we scored.” The win came in front of the Al-Ahli fans with their Jeddah base hosting the centralised eight-team finals tournament for the second season in a row.

A crowd of almost 59,000 turned out to see Machida keeper Kosei Tani throw himself to his right to keep out Galeno’s 13th-minute effort after Enzo Millot’s pass behind Hotaka Nakamura had split the Machida defence. Daihachi Okamura’s follow-up clearance prevented Ivan Toney from netting the rebound.

Merih Demiral’s close-range effort clipped the top of the crossbar with three minutes left in the half when Galeno’s in-swinging cross from the right caused concern in the backline, the Turkish defender falling back as he struck the ball. Machida’s efforts to frustrate the champions paid off with 22 minutes remaining when Hawsawi needlessly reacted in a confrontation with Tete Yengi, headbutting the Australian in full view of referee Ilgiz Tantashev.

With the extra space following Hawsawi’s red card, the Japanese outfit started to take charge. Edouard Mendy dived to his right to deny Hiroyuki Mae in the 73rd minute and eight minutes later the former Chelsea man saved a low, curling effort that was bound for the bottom corner from Yuki Soma.

Despite being a man down it was Al-Ahli who found their way through a miserly Machida defence, Mahrez swinging a left-footed cross from the right towards the far post, where Franck Kessie laid the ball off for Al-Brikan to score. .

Kagera. The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the education sector as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR), aligning its initiatives with Tanzania’s Development Vision 2050 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 4 on quality education.

Speaking during the Form Six graduation ceremony at Bunazi Secondary School in Misenyi, EACOP Community Relations Coordinator, Theophil Celestine, said the project is committed to complementing government efforts to improve access to quality education. “The EACOP project is not only about the construction of crude oil infrastructure; it is also about people’s development,” he said.

“We feel obliged to support communities surrounding our project areas through socio-economic development initiatives, while also fully implementing the local content policy,” he added. As part of its support, EACOP pledged to donate a photocopy machine to assist academic and administrative activities at the school.

The company also said it continues to implement broader social investment initiatives, including support for Project Affected Persons (PAPs) and provision of vocational training through the Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA). It has also rolled out the “Keep a Girl in School Initiative Phase I”, under its Socio-Economic Investment Programme, aimed at improving menstrual health and hygiene management in selected schools along the EACOP corridor in Tanzania.

Bunazi Secondary School Headmistress, Arieth Philemon Munisi, expressed appreciation for the support, saying it contributes to improving the learning environment. However, she highlighted several challenges facing the school, including lack of a perimeter fence, which she said exposes students to safety risks and vandalism.

She also pointed to the absence of a dining hall, which affects student welfare and limits space for school activities, as well as the poor condition of the kitchen, which she said is no longer adequate for the school’s needs. In addition, she cited breakdown of photocopiers and printers, which has affected academic administration and increased operational costs.

She also noted shortages of sports equipment, limiting students’ participation in physical education and extracurricular activities. She called on other stakeholders to support efforts to address these challenges.

The graduation ceremony, held at the school grounds, brought together parents, teachers, students and local leaders. Established in 1998 by the Misenyi Development Association (MIDEA), Bunazi Secondary School was founded by local coffee farmers to promote access to education in the area.

It was later integrated into the government system in 2022. The school currently has 1,332 students–821 girls and 511 boys–from Form One to Form Six. It serves learners from pipeline-affected villages such as Bulfani, Nyabihanga and Kabwoba at Ordinary Level, while Advanced Level students are drawn from various parts of the country.

This year, 104 out of 110 Form Six girls completed their studies, while six students were transferred for various reasons. The school has 42 teachers among a total staff of 51, supported by matrons, cooks, security personnel and administrative staff.

The East African Crude Oil Pipeline is a 1,443-kilometre project transporting crude oil from Hoima in Uganda to the Chongoleani Peninsula in Tanga, Tanzania. It is jointly owned by TotalEnergies (62 percent), Uganda National Oil Company (15 percent), Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (15 per cent) and CNOOC (8 percent).

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Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s U-17 national team, the Serengeti Boys, have been handed a challenging draw for the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026, where they will compete in Group C against Mali, Angola and Mozambique.

The draw, conducted by Confederation Africaine de Football, sets up a competitive tournament scheduled from May 13 to June 2, with Mali–last edition’s runners-up–emerging as the group’s strongest opponents. CAF has introduced a new “festival-style” format for this edition, with most matches and team activities centralized at the Mohammed VI Football Complex.

Only key fixtures such as the opening match, semi-finals and final will be staged at separate venues. The innovation is aimed at improving logistics, ensuring consistent playing conditions and enhancing player development through a more immersive tournament environment.

Meanwhile, Tanzania has intensified preparations with a training camp in Arusha. The technical bench is focusing on fitness, tactical discipline and team cohesion to prepare for physically demanding opponents.

The stakes are high, as the top eight teams will qualify directly for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, while third-placed sides will enter play-offs for remaining slots. For the Serengeti Boys, Morocco 2026 presents a vital opportunity to shine on the continental stage and push for a return to global competition.

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