Our Story

About Satino

Rooted in Sinoni. Built by the community. For the community.

The Neighborhood

Sinoni, Arusha

Sinoni sits within the city of Arusha, surrounded by the landscape of nearby Mount Meru. It is a neighborhood defined by its community spirit, its markets, and its people.

Around 71% of people in Arusha live below the poverty line of $3.65 a day. For many young people in Sinoni, imagining a different future is genuinely difficult. The academy gives them a reason to show up. And somewhere to belong.

The Tindiga

Our training ground is what locals call "tindiga", or wet lands. It floods with Arusha's frequent rains, then dries into hardened, rocky earth. It is not a conventional field. It is ours, and we make it everything we need.

Sinoni neighborhood and training ground

The Academy

Founded April 2023

Satino Football Academy was built on one principle: no child in Sinoni should be kept from playing because of money. We are the only completely free academy in the city of Arusha. Equipment, transportation, meals, tournament fees, all covered. 121 youth. Ages 5 to 17. Five coaches, all hired locally.

Our coaches are not just coaches. They do home visits before every player signs their TFF-registered contract. Not for legality. For commitment. For community. They are brothers, mentors, and the kind of role models that Sinoni builds from within.

What We Teach

Lessons That Last

Football is our classroom. What we build on the pitch, we send into the world.

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Teamwork

No individual wins alone. Every drill, every match, every season is an exercise in collective responsibility.

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Accountability

Players sign TFF-registered contracts. Commitments matter. That lesson extends far beyond the pitch.

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Leadership

Older players mentor younger ones. Every age group has something to teach and something to learn.

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Empowerment

We remove financial barriers so that those with less can see a path forward, in football and in life.

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Global Reach

We compete internationally and build bridges between Tanzania, the Netherlands, and the United States.

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Identity

Knowing where you are from is the foundation of knowing where you are going. Our players carry Sinoni with them.

Track Record

In Under Two Years

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Tanzanian National Youth Team

One SFA player was selected to the national youth camp in Tanga. He lives at camp, trains with professional coaches, and receives three meals a day. The highest level of youth football in Tanzania.

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Young Boys Academy

A second player selected to the Young Boys Academy in Arusha, established by Danish club Young Boys FD, competing in Denmark's 3rd division.

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Chipkizi Cup · 2023 & 2024

The largest youth international tournament in Southeast Africa. Our U15 went undefeated in group play in 2023, came back from 2-4 down in one match, and reached the quarterfinals against Kenya's Midcity Soccer Academy.

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Satino Queens · 2025

Girls' team launched January 2025 in partnership with Sinoni Secondary School. The Queens reached the semi-finals of the 2026 Women's Day Arusha Bonanza and beat Sombetini Secondary 5-1 in September 2026.

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Ajax × VodafoneZiggo

150 balls and full kits through our Focus Foundation partnership. One of several Dutch institutional connections built around SFA.

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5 Local Jobs Created

Every coach at SFA is hired from Sinoni. The academy creates employment and economic stability in the neighborhood it serves.

Governance

2026 Constitution

Satino Football Academy is registered under the National Sports Council Act of Tanzania and affiliated with the Tanzania Football Federation. Our constitution reflects our commitment to transparency, community governance, and FIFA training principles.

Download the 2026 Constitution