TANZANIA U17 national team head coach Elieneza Nsanganzelu has emphasized that the Serengeti Boys' 3-2 victory over Nigeria is only one part of a much bigger objective, insisting that the ongoing CFA Team China International Youth Football Tournament is primarily about preparing the team for the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar.

Speaking after Sunday's opening victory over Nigeria's Golden Eaglets, Nsanganzelu described the encounter as "a normal match" and stressed that the technical bench was more interested in evaluating the team's performance than celebrating the result.

According to the coach, Tanzania executed its game plan effectively, particularly during the opening half, where the team created numerous scoring opportunities and established control of the match.

Goals from Issa Chole and Hamisi Chenga gave Serengeti Boys a 2-0 lead before the break, while Kassim Juma added a third in the second half to help Tanzania secure a 3-2 victory despite Nigeria's late response.

Nsanganzelu explained that the scoreline was less important than the lessons gained from the match.

"It was a normal game, not a difficult one. We played well, especially in the first half, created many scoring opportunities and scored our goals. But these are friendly matches, so sometimes we deliberately try difficult things to see how we can build the team for the World Cup," he said.

The coach revealed that his technical team made four substitutions during the match, not simply to protect the result but to assess different player combinations and tactical options.

He said the friendly tournament provides an ideal environment to experiment without the pressure associated with competitive World Cup fixtures.

"We made several substitutions because this is part of our learning process. These matches help us identify what we need to improve, both in the quality of individual players and in our work as a technical staff," Nsanganzelu explained.

He added that every training session and match in China is aimed at solving tactical challenges before the team travels to Qatar later this year.

Looking ahead to the remaining matches against hosts China and Australia, Nsanganzelu said his coaching staff will study their opponents but insisted that the team's primary focus remains on perfecting Tanzania's own style of play.

He explained that while every team wants to win, approximately 90 percent of the technical team's attention is devoted to improving Serengeti Boys' attacking patterns, creating more scoring opportunities and strengthening the team's overall identity.

"We look at our opponents, but our biggest focus is ourselves. We want to improve our style of play, create more chances and understand how we can hurt our opponents while continuing to prepare for the World Cup," he said.

The coach also urged patience with his young players, noting that mistakes are an unavoidable part of the learning process.

Rather than criticising players for minor errors, Nsanganzelu said the technical bench encourages experimentation because it allows the squad to develop confidence and tactical understanding ahead of football's biggest youth tournament.

With two more international friendlies against China and Australia still to come, Serengeti Boys will continue using the tournament to refine the squad, evaluate individual performances and strengthen team chemistry as Tanzania intensifies preparations for its historic appearance at the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar.