🦒NANEBORA
🇹🇿 NBC U20 Top 8️⃣ 2026 / Utangulizi
Nane : 8 ; Bora : The Best
Utangulizi : Introduction in Swahili
NBC U20 Premier League Top 8 Finals 2025-26
Well, given the success of my MATUMAINI series ; a planned dive in the CAF U17 competition, resulting in an unexpected one in Tanzania’s football structure. Exactly what I didn’t expect.
In order to address my Fear Of Missing Out on yet another fresh but enticing opportunity to procrastinate, I subscribed for $10 to AzamTV broadcasting the NBC Tanzania Premier League after realising that FIFA+/DAZN “only” broadcast the NBC Championship - the 🇹🇿 second division.
Well I’m saying procrastinate, not really, well kind of but I’ve got a delay in one of my current projects so I’ve got a week or so to fill somewhat.
There’s a play-off competition for the U20 league involving 8 teams, for the 8th consecutive edition. I’ll dig up until I find the league phase table.
It’s called the NBC Youth League Top 8 :
I was watching the games in the background, and then figured out they were also on YouTube since it’s a TF Federation Competition.
The other good thing is that there’s no score, well of course there is a scorebox, but the YouTube stream video title doesn’t read it so if I resist the urge to read the last page of the book and jump at the end of the stream, that constitute an excellent approach to avoid scoreboard analysis.
I do not understand Swahili, you cannot second guess it because it’s neither latin or anglo/saxon. So the only thing that matters is the momentum and players reactions.
Droo ya 8 bora ya NBC U 20 yaweka wazi makundi
Two groups : “Kundi” is “group” in Swahili
Kundi A is Mtibwa Sugar, Young Africans, Mashujaa FC and Mbeya City;
Kundi B is Azam FC, Dodoma Jiji, Simba SC and JKT Tanzania
The format is so that the top two teams of each group play each other to determine the winner. Last season, Azam FC U20s beat Fountain Gate U20s by the score of 1-0.
Fountain Gate, with their Youth Provision that platformed Mussa Chole, recently voted best player at the CAF U17. Simba SC is where Ally Mbegu plays.
All matches to be played at the Dar es Salaam complex (Mechi zote zitapigwa Uwanja wa Azam Complex jijini Dar es Salaam.)
Of course, at this point I’m saying to myself “a map would be nice”, so watch this space. Update : well, I added the map.
I am obviously not a geopolitical troglodyte, but there’s regions of the World I do not know about much when it comes to the football.
In Tanzania, Simba SC and Young Africans SC are massive clubs with an enormous fanbase and support.
They’re like next door, next door in Dar-es-Salaam
Learning how to discern the gradients towards greatness is simultaneously an opportunity to enjoy top level more, but also grasp what makes a footballers’ journey towards the best level they can reach.
Matchday 1 on 18th and 19th of June
Matchday 2 on 22nd and 23rd of June
Matchday 3 on 25th to 26th of June
My idea is to shortlist a team of the competition.
The final is due to be played at the start of July, with the semi-finals on the 29th of June
And at some point next year, see were zey play, if zey play, ow zey play.
From the 2025 Kanuni za Ligi Kuu - the competition’s rulebook
Clubs have to maintain a U17 U20 program, with players registered with the TFF.
U20 squad: 18–30 players, none over 20 (75.2).
Up to 5 U20s may play for the first team per match (75.5).
7 U17s may play up for the U20 side (75.15).
U20 promoted to the first team in a window = free, no transfer (75.8).
First-teamers can’t drop to youth sides in lower divisions (75.12) — though “first-team player” is undefined.
So there’s structural constraints to appreciate and acknowledge.
I produced that document for another side project to illustrate the different regulatory frameworks when it comes to squad selection.
By the way, since we’re at it. France, England, Tanzania.
You need the Continental Pro License to coach the First Team, and the A if you’re Assistant or U17 / U20 Coach.
I’ll fit one to three player notes per newsletter, as I’ll be putting together what I spitballed and scribbled down on my actual paper notebooks.
