Africa: Tanzania Teenage Star Athanasi Wins Golden Boot At TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Afcon

Tanzania forward Dismas Shida Athanasi has been named the Golden Boot winner at the TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2026, after finishing as the tournament's leading scorer with three goals.

The 14-year-old was one of the standout stories of the competition, combining his status as the youngest player at the tournament with decisive performances that helped Tanzania reach their first-ever CAF youth final.

Athanasi's goals played a major role in the Serengeti Boys' historic campaign, as Tanzania progressed from surprise package to finalists before losing to Senegal on penalties in Tuesday's final in Rabat.

His three goals were enough to place him ahead of a chasing group that included Tanzania teammate Ramadhani Mbegelendi, Uganda's Ibrahim Arafat, Senegal's Souleymane Faye, Ghana's Eric Gyamfi and Egypt's Zeyad Saoudi, who all finished with two goals.

Athanasi scored once against Mozambique in the group stage before producing one of his most memorable performances in the quarter-final against Algeria, where he scored twice in a dramatic 3-3 draw.

Tanzania went on to beat Algeria on penalties, before defeating Egypt in another shootout in the semi-finals to reach the final for the first time in the country's history.

Although Senegal eventually won the title after a 4-2 penalty shootout victory following a 1-1 draw, Athanasi's impact remained one of the defining features of the tournament.

His performances attracted attention not only because of his goals, but also because of his maturity, confidence and ability to operate across the attacking line.

Despite his age, Athanasi showed composure in front of goal and a strong understanding of space, often giving Tanzania an outlet in attack during some of their most difficult matches.

The award also underlines the wider significance of Tanzania's run in Morocco.

The Serengeti Boys' journey to the final was one of the major stories of the tournament and gave East African football one of its proudest moments at continental youth level.

Athanasi, who has spoken about his desire to continue developing and one day play for a major European club, said during the tournament that his focus remained firmly on helping the team.

His Golden Boot success now gives Tanzania another reason to celebrate after a campaign that also secured qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup.

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