The 2025 non elective General Assembly of the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) will take place in Juba, South Sudan.

Auka John Gecheo, the Executive Director of CECAFA disclosed that the South Sudan Football Association (SFFA) has agreed to host the Assembly.

“We are happy and glad that SSFA has come forward and offered to host the Assembly in Juba next year. The Assembly which will bring together all CECAFA Members will take place between January and February,” added Gecheo.

He made it clear that the Assembly will do a review of the past activities and also plan for the 2025 calendar.

This year alone CECAFA has organized the Dar Port Kagame Cup, the CAF Women’s Champions League CECAFA qualifiers and the Africa Cup of Nations U-20 CECAFA qualifiers. The Zone will also organize the CAF Schools Football Tournament CECAFA Zone and the Africa Cup of Nations U-17 CECAFA qualifiers next month.

CECAFA also managed to orgainse the Women’s Football leadership course in Ethiopia and the Match Coordinators workshop in Nairobi, Kenya.

Gen. Agustino Madout Parek, President of SSFA and Vice President of CECAFA has made it clear that they are prepared to host a successful Assembly.

This year Kenya hosted the CECAFA General Assembly on 16th, February, 2024 in Mombasa, while the 2-2023 Assembly took place in Zanzibar.

The 12 CECAFA members include; Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea and Zanzibar.

Nine Member Association will send teams to participate in the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 for the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) Zone.

Uganda will host the qualifiers slated for December 14-28^th, 2024.

Yusuf Mossi, the CECAFA Competitions Director confirmed that nine member countries have registered for the qualifiers that will see the best two teams book slots to represent the Zone at the continental tournament.

Mossi, who was in Uganda early this week to inspect the facilities in Bukedea, Mbale and Kampala told Cecafaonline.com that they expect a very competitive tournament because most teams are already training.

He confirmed that the hosts Uganda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Tanzania.

Mossi also asked all teams that will take part to first carry out Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) tests for the players before they travel to Uganda for the tournament. When all the teams arrive in Uganda, the players will undergo the MRI tests by the designated Confederation of African Football (CAF) doctors.

In the last Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) U-17 Zonal qualifiers held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2022, Somalia beat South Sudan 3-1 in the final.

The head coach of South Sudan, Nicolas Dupuis has said his team is very determined to qualify for the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2025 qualifiers.

Dupuis guided the Bright Star of South Sudan past Kenya in the first round of the qualifiers on a 3-1 goal aggregate to qualify for the second round.

“We are very determined and will prepare for the next round of the qualifiers because I believe we have a good team. Our major target is to qualify for CHAN 2025 because this will mean a lot for us and South Sudan as a country,” said Dupuis.

After winning the first leg 2-0, South Sudan held on to a 1-1 draw against Kenya in the return leg played at the Mandela National Stadium, Namboole in Kampala.

Austine Odhiambo Otieno gave Kenya the lead after 10 minutes, but Ebo Malish Ezibon Wajo leveled matters for South Sudan after 43 minutes. The two teams failed to find more goals in the second half. The draw saw South Sudan qualify on a 3-1 goal aggregate.

Kenya opted to play their match in Uganda because they do not have have a Stadium approved by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) to host International matches.

Kenya has already secured qualification since they will be one of the hosts of the CHAN 2025 tournament together with Uganda and Tanzania when the tournament takes place in February.

South Sudan will not face Rwanda in the final phase of the qualifiers in December this year, while Burundi take on Uganda, and Ethiopia battle Sudan.

Rwanda ejected Djibouti 3-1 on aggregate in the first round, while Sudan saw-off Tanzania in penalties after a 1-1 draw after two rounds. Burundi and Ethiopia walked over Somalia and Eritrea respectively.

The CHAN tournament is played between only players featuring in the local League in each of the respective CAF Member countries.

The Amavubi of Rwanda are through to the last phase of the TotalEnergies Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) 2025 qualifiers.

After losing the first leg 1-0 to Djibouti few days ago, Rwanda returned a changed side to defeat the same side 3-1 in the return leg played at the Amahoro Stadium on Thursday in Kigali.

Cheered on by the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, the Amavubi took an early lead through Olivier Dushimimana after 10 minutes.

The striker made no mistake when he capitalized on Kevin Muhire’s cross to place the ball past Djibouti’s goalkeeper Sulait Luyima. Mahad Abdi had his shot blocked later after 19 minutes by Rwanda’s goalkeeper.

Dushimimana was at it again netting his second goal of the day after 24 minutes. After recess, the Djibouti team tried to settle down and close gaps on the pitch. But Arsene Tuyisenge made it 3-0 for the hosts at the stroke of full time.

Frank Spittler, the Rwanda coach said his players had responded well after losing the first leg. “I am happy about the way the players expressed themselves today and we need to keep working hard because there is another stage of the qualifiers,” added Spittler.

Rwanda who qualified on a 3-1 goal aggregate will now wait to gave the winner between Kenya and South Sudan in the final phase of the qualifiers.

On Sunday Tanzania will host Sudan in Dar es Salaam, while Kenya face South Sudan in Nairobi. Sudan stopped Tanzania 1-0, while South Sudan brushed aside Kenya 2-0 in the first leg.

The CECAFA Zone will be represented by four teams when the CHAN 2025 tournament takes place in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania in February 2025.