Like all good things, Tarryn Allarakhia and Haji Mnoga’s friendship began at a National League match between Wealdstone and Aldershot in 2023 when they were opponents. Since then they have moved to the north-west and are heading into a second Africa Cup of Nations as Tanzania internationals together.

This is the fourth time Tanzania, who sit 112th in Fifa’s rankings, have qualified for the tournament but they are yet to secure a victory. In Côte d’Ivoire in 2023, Allarakhia and Mnoga were part of a squad that secured draws against Zambia and DR Congo, but that was not enough to get them out of the group. Nigeria, the highest-ranked side in the group, will be their first opponents on Tuesday before clashes with Tunisia and Uganda in Morocco for the Taifa Stars.

“They’re all going to be tough games,” says Mnoga, who won a youth cap for England. “We just want to make history for the country. Two years ago we did by getting more points than ever before, but this year we want to go one better. If we can just do that, then brilliant.”

The backstories are similar: their fathers, Yousef and Suleiman, moved to the UK in search of new lives and the duo spent many holidays in their youth in Tanzania. Since their first chats life has changed; London-born Allarakhia plays for National League leaders Rochdale, while Mnoga is part of a Salford side battling for promotion from League Two.

Tanzania has started leaning more on the diaspora in the hope of unearthing talent that can help them on the international stage. “I used to play against Tarryn when I was at Aldershot without knowing that he was Tanzanian. I thought he was a very good player,” says Mnoga at Rochdale’s training ground in Manchester.

“When he told me that he was, I was shocked, because he doesn’t look like the typical Tanzanian. There are not many Tanzanians in the UK, so you do not expect to bump into one.” Allarakhia jumps in to add: “I have to show everyone my nan to prove I have got Tanzanian roots in me.”

Allarakhia scored his first Tanzania goal in the last window, in a 4-3 defeat to Kuwait, and heads to Morocco in fine domestic form, having netted in his past two Rochdale games. English, Indian and Spanish heritage thrown into the Allarakhia DNA make him stand out. Neither spoke Swahili, making them outsiders when they first got the call. Allarakhia at least had Mnoga as a guide.

“A lot of the players didn’t want to speak English to us,” Mnoga says. “Not that they couldn’t speak English, they didn’t want to speak English to us, so it was a bit weird. But then every camp we ended up going to more and more, everyone got a bit more used to the direction that everything’s going in now. They had to start speaking to us and things like that, and I was picking up more Swahili as well.”

Mnoga had a quiet word with the previous head coach, Adel Amrouche. “I wouldn’t really say that I made it happen for Tarryn, he made it happen for himself, I just gave him a nudge in the right direction,” explains Mnoga. “I’ve been to Tanzania loads of times and I love it there,” Allarakhia adds. “I think it’s coming up. It’s improving. So in a few years’ time, people will start to recognise Tanzania a lot more.”

Of the 28 travelling to Morocco, 20 play in the domestic league. The most high-profile is striker Mbwana Samatta, once of Aston Villa, and the only Tanzanian to play in the Premier League. Allarakhia has rubbed shoulders with the stars, doing pre-season training with Nigeria’s Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey but “they won’t remember me”, the Rochdale man jokes.

In two years’ time the competition will be hosted in Tanzania for the first time, sharing the honours with Kenya and Uganda. The national team is desperate to build momentum going into a historic home Afcon. It’s often tricky for the continent’s flagship competition to get focus globally, taking place mid-season.

“I feel football has become very robotic,” suggests Mnoga. “I know there’s been a lot of criticism over the way that football’s gone. It has spruced up a little bit this year. African football is just fun, people humour it. A lot of the players play with so much freedom, and some of the mistakes are quite funny but it’s quite nice to watch because it’s not robotic, it’s just 11 people going out versus 11 people playing with freedom.”

The timing of the tournament means the two friends will be spending Christmas together. Family and friends will also travel to take in the occasion and boost the number of presents received. Mnoga’s father Suleiman, a former footballer, ensures everyone is looked after when with Tanzania.

Being an international footballer does not immediately transmit to success. Mnoga went to the 2023 Afcon but was released by Portsmouth the following summer, having to trial at clubs including Harrogate before signing a one-year deal with Salford. “You just constantly get to put yourself on a platform against good players,” Mnoga says. “And then especially for me, being a defender, you get to play against good wingers. I remember I had a good game against Said Benrahma. Stuff like that can really help shape your career.”

Not that it was an easy start to Allarakhia’s international career. A debut against Mohamed Salah’s Egypt offered an early indication of the difference in class between non-league football and the international scene, and was then given a start, up against Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, a World Cup semi-finalist and soon-to-be Champions League winner, in the heat of the Côte d’Ivoire.

“I don’t really get starstruck,” Allarakhia says. “When I came on against Egypt, for me, it was just a normal game, just to go out, there’s nothing to lose. Against Morocco, it was about 40 degrees. I remember Haji was saying to me in the tunnel: ‘it’s too hot’. Like we were sweating before we even got out there. But again, the boys are used to it. Whereas we’re coming from the north-west of England.”

They were pleased to learn that Morocco will be far cooler. “It’s amazing to think I got to play against the best right-back in the world. Even though it didn’t go to plan, at least I can say I played against him and I’ve got myself to this level.”

The story of Allarakhia and Mnoga is a reminder of the global nature of the sport and how it brings people together. Their families’ stories have gone from Tanzania to the south of England and back again. The aim in Morocco is to cause an upset or two but whatever the outcome, it will be embraced.

“It just opens my eyes up to the world a lot more, I enjoy the experience of everything a lot,” says Mnoga. “When I get to go with good friends of mine, sharing that experience with them as well, it just makes it so much better.”