Tanzania Breweries Limited has announced the final 22 players who will represent the 2025 Safari Lager Champion Team. The players were selected through a multi-stage national talent search that included trials in Mbeya, Arusha, Mwanza and Dar es Salaam.
The team will face the defending Champions, Young Africans Sports Club (Yanga SC) in the final match of the Safari Lager Cup on Saturday, 26 July 2025, at KMC Stadium in Mwenge. In addition to clinching the coveted league title, this season saw Yanga SC crowned Champions the domestic FA Cup; Mapinduzi Cup as well as the TFF Community Shield.
The Safari Lager Cup was introduced as a grassroots football initiative aimed at identifying and elevating young football talent outside traditional club structures. The tournament was open to players aged 18–24 and followed a regional bonanza format overseen by Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) officials.
Scouts from Safari Lager worked alongside coaches and community representatives to evaluate players, with the final team selected based on both technical performance and fan engagement via a dedicated microsite.
Khensani Mkhombo, Head of Marketing at Tanzania Breweries Limited, said the initiative was designed to shift how football talent is discovered across the country.
“Our ambition with the Safari Lager Cup was never just to host a competition. We wanted to create a moment that redefines how football talent is discovered and celebrated. These young men weren’t signed — they were seen. By coaches, by fans, by their communities. This is a team built by belief.”
The final squad includes representation across all four scouting regions and has been grouped by playing position as follows:
Goalkeepers
- Edward Maheri Mjanja (Arusha)
- Lupakisyo Mwakyando (Dar es Salaam)
Defenders
- Seleman Mangoma (Dar es Salaam)
- Sadala Sabula (Mbeya)
- Abdoun Ibrahim (Dar es Salaam)
- Paul Michael Kona (Mwanza)
- Ally Omari Manzi (Arusha)
- Rashidi Fumbwe (Dar es Salaam)
- Izirael Onesmo Lyimo (Arusha)
- Japhet Joakim Gabriel (Mbeya)
Midfielders
- Yasin Y Chondi (Dar es Salaam)
- Mickdady Fales Mgeta (Arusha)
- David T Kombe (Mwanza)
- Mahenga G Komakoma (Mwanza)
- Robert Mwakyeja (Mbeya)
- Godfrey C Kapira (Mbeya)
- Adam Shingini (Mbeya)
- Herry Sanga (Mbeya)
Forwards
- Petro Paul (Mbeya)
- Said Bakari (Mbeya)
- Maximilian Felix Kasisi (Mbeya)
- Paschal Joseph Elias (Mwanza)
The final fixture of the 2025 Safari Lager Cup will be held at KMC Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Saturday, 26 July. Gates will open at 12h00 and kick-off is scheduled for 15h00. Tickets are now available via N-Card at TZS 1,000 for General Admission, TZS 3,000 for VIP B, and TZS 5,000 for VIP A.
Yanga SC, the reigning Tanzania Premier League champions, will serve as the opposing team. The club has partnered with Tanzania Breweries Limited to support this year’s Safari Lager Cup in a shared effort to develop local football.
Ali Kamwe, Media and Communications Manager at Yanga SC, added:
“This is more than a game. It’s pride, performance, and pressure. And we welcome it. As Yanga SC, we believe in the power of football to connect generations — and we’re proud to be part of a story that’s bringing the game back to the people.”
The Safari Lager Cup has become a flagship campaign in Tanzania’s local sports calendar and remains one of the few platforms dedicated to unearthing and developing football talent outside of professional clubs. The 2025 edition also introduced a public voting mechanism that allowed fans to influence the selection process using codes found under Safari Lager crowns.
Issued on behalf of Safari Lager by M-Sports Marketing. For media enquiries, please contact +27 11 781 9724
About Safari Lager
Safari Lager, brewed by Tanzania Breweries Limited, is one of Tanzania’s most iconic beer brands. Known for its crisp taste and national heritage, Safari Lager has expanded its commitment to community development through long-term investment in local sports. The Safari Lager Cup is a key initiative in this journey — supporting young talent and promoting grassroots football across the country.
INFO SUPPLIED.