Yanga, TP Mazembe may lock horns in Kagame Cup
What you need to know:
- The Cecafa Club Cup has been known as the Kagame Interclub Cup since 2002, when Rwandan President Paul Kagame began sponsoring the competition that began in 1967.
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania's envoys in the continental club championships will have the opportunity to gauge their prowess in the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (Cecafa) Club Championship (Kagame Cup).
The competition is scheduled to take place from July 6 to 22 in both Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar.
Tanzania Mainland will be represented by Young Africans (Yanga) and Azam FC in the CAF Champions League, while Simba and Coastal Union will feature in the CAF Confederation Cup.
One of the top teams on the continent, TP Mazembe of DR Congo will be among the 16 teams confirmed to compete in the tournament, according to a statement issued by Cecafa.
Also, on the list are top Sudanese teams Al Hilal and El Merreikh, who regularly compete in the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup, as well as Red Arrows of Zambia.
Others include Vital’O (Burundi), APR (Rwanda), Hai El Wadi (Sudan), Gor Mahia (Kenya), SC Villa (Uganda), JKU SC (Zanzibar), El Merreikh FC-Bentiu (South Sudan), and Nyasa Big Bullets of Malawi.
Originally, the tournament was scheduled to take place from July 20 to August 4, this year, in Tanzania, but due to the African football governing body (CAF)’s calendar, Cecafa decided to reschedule it.
The move allows Yanga, Azam, Simba, and Coastal Union to assess their strengths and weaknesses before competing in the CAF club competitions.
"This tournament will help our teams in this region to prepare well for the 2024/2025 CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup seasons, which will start in August.
“Having top teams from DR Congo, Malawi, and Zambia will also add excitement to our tournament and provide a real challenge for our teams," said Cecafa Executive Director John Auko Gecheo.
As a result, the 2024 Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup, which involves national teams, has been cancelled to give players more time to prepare with their clubs for the Cecafa Kagame Cup.
The Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup was originally scheduled to open the Cecafa calendar from June 29 to July 14, this year,
The Cecafa Club Cup has been known as the Kagame Interclub Cup since 2002, when Rwandan President Paul Kagame began sponsoring the competition that began in 1967.
