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THE NON-LEAGUE DUO EYEING AFCON HISTORY WITH TANZANIA

Non-league duo Haji Mnoga and Ben Starkie are hoping to be included in the Tanzania squad for AFCON in January

 

Sky Sports exclusive: Aldershot Town's Haji Mnoga and Ilkeston Town's Ben Starkie tell the tale of how they came to represent Tanzania at senior international level and what it would mean to be included in Adel Amrouche's squad for AFCON 2023 in January

Away from the glamour of the Premier League and unpredictable excitement in the EFL, English non-league football is unrivalled.

Be it the Jamie Vardy, rags-to-riches, journey that still proves to be a source of inspiration, or the FA Cup giant-killings that come year after year, there is so much life in the National League and below, and so many vivid stories waiting to be told.

With that in mind, meet Haji Mnoga and Ben Starkie.

Mnoga is on loan at Aldershot Town of the National League from Portsmouth, while Starkie plays for Derbyshire-based Ilkeston Town of the Northern Premier League Premier Division, on a dual registration with National League North side Alfreton Town.

The pair are both 21 - and since March 2022, both have been fully-fledged Tanzania internationals. Now, they are just potentially weeks away from playing at AFCON 2023."

"It's one of the best memories I've got," says Starkie as Mnoga nudges him, smiles and asks him to tell the story of how they met.

"For a whole year, we were talking and playing Xbox most days and then, one weekend, I had an away game down in Cambridge and Haji was staying close to my game, so said he was going to pull up and watch me.

"That day, I scored two and with my last one, I went round the 'keeper and scored and Haji was next to the goal. I just ran up to him and celebrated with him and since that moment we've been tight. We speak on the daily and now I get to travel with Tanzania with him. It's the dream."