Tanzania’s Under-20 women’s national team, the Tanzanite Queens, have written a new chapter in African football history after securing qualification for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup with a brilliant 2-0 victory today, May 10, 2026 over Cameroon at the New Amaan Complex in Zanzibar.
The result overturned a 3-1 first-leg deficit suffered in Yaoundé on May 2 at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium, meaning Tanzanite Queens entered the return leg with a clear mission to win by at least two unanswered goals.
They delivered exactly that, and in style.
Goals from Mary Aron and winger Hasnath Ubamba sealed a memorable night for Tanzania, with Ubamba once again proving to be a decisive figure in the team’s attacking setup, providing pace, creativity, and composure when it mattered most.
This historic qualification makes Tanzania the first East African nation ever to reach the U-20 Women’s World Cup, while also becoming only the second Tanzanian women’s team to achieve World Cup qualification, following the U-17 side in 2022.
Ironically, both milestones have come at Cameroon’s expense, further highlighting Tanzania’s growing dominance in these encounters.
In 2022, the U-17 team also eliminated Cameroon on their way to the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in India, where they reached the quarter-finals.
Over two legs that year, Tanzania secured a 5-1 aggregate victory, winning 4-1 away in Yaoundé before completing the job with a 1-0 home win in Zanzibar a pattern that has now repeated itself in stunning fashion.
With this latest triumph, Tanzanite Queens join an elite group of African representatives at the tournament, alongside Ghana, Nigeria, and the remaining qualifier between Ivory Coast and Benin.
Ghana continue to be one of the continent’s most experienced sides at this level, with multiple World Cup appearances stretching back over a decade, while Nigeria remain Africa’s most decorated team in youth women’s football with over ten qualifications.
For Tanzania, however, this moment is different.
It is their first-ever qualification at U-20 level a landmark achievement for a young and rapidly developing squad that is now firmly announcing itself on the global stage.
From underdogs to history-makers, the Tanzanite Queens have shown resilience, belief, and growing quality and in doing so, have placed Tanzania firmly on the world football map.
