Tanzania has big reason to celebrate after young footballer Dismas Shida Athanasi won the Golden Boot at the TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations held in Morocco in 2026.The 14-year-old forward from Tanzania scored three goals to become the leading scorer of the whole competition.This achievement helped the Serengeti Boys reach the final for the first time in the country's history.Athanasi showed great skill and maturity despite being the youngest player in the tournament.

He scored one goal against Mozambique in the group stage and two goals in the quarter-final against Algeria, which ended in a 3-3 draw before Tanzania won on penalties.The team also defeated Egypt in the semi-finals through a shootout.

Although they lost to Senegal in the final on penalties after a 1-1 draw, Tanzania's journey was very impressive and historic for East African football.Athanasi's performance was not just about goals but also his confidence and understanding of the game.He played across the attacking positions and gave the team good options in difficult matches.This success means Tanzania has also qualified for the FIFA U-17 World Cup.Many other players scored two goals each, including his teammate Ramadhani Mbegelendi, but Athanasi came out on top.The young star has dreams to play in big European clubs one day, but during the tournament he focused on helping his national team.This tournament will be remembered as a proud moment for Tanzanian and East African football.