NEWS
It’s D-Day for CECAFA U-23 Challenge Cup semi finals in Ethiopia
After battling through the group stages four teams will this afternoon be all out to prove a point at the semi final stage of the CECAFA U-23 Challenge Cup.
The first game will see Tanzania face surprise package South Sudan, and later Burundi will take on Kenya’s Emerging Stars at the Bahir Dar Stadium, Ethiopia.
Kim Poulsen, the Tanzania coach has made it clear that they will not underrate the South Sudan team because they are a physical team that is also good at passing the ball. “We must approach this semi final match with a lot of caution and also take our chances,” added Poulsen.
The Tanzanian team will however miss the suspended first choice goalkeeper Boniface Mnata Metacha who accumulated two yellow cards in their group games where they beat DR Congo 1-0 and drew 1-1 with Uganda.
For the South Sudan team that scored late goals to beat Djibouti 2-0 in their last group game to make it to the knock out stage, they will hope that Dominic Angelo Kornello and Aluk Akeck Mabior find their scoring touch again.
South Sudan’s head coach Simon James Yor made it clear that although the Tanzanian team is good on the ball, his team will use a strategy which will tame their opponents. “We also need to be sharp at goal because this is a knock out stage,” added the coach.
The second semi final match pitting the highest scoring teams in the tournament promises to be a thriller. Paul Reagan Otieno and Benson Ochieng Oluoch will be determined to continue with their scoring form for the Kenyan team that has also not conceded a goal yet. “We have had enough time to rest and also prepare for the semi final. I have watched Burundi play and they are not an easy side,” said Kenya’s coach Stanley Khayo Okumbi.
Kenya started their campaign with a 3-0 win against Djibouti, before stopping South Sudan 2-0. The Burundi team humbled Eritrea 3-0 and settled for a 1-1 draw against hosts Ethiopia.
Burundi’s coach Jimmy Ndayizeye made it clear that playing at the semi final stage is good for his young players. “I am happy that we are at the semi final stage. We are going to approach this game with a lot of caution to defend well and also try to take our chance at goal,” added Ndayizeye.
Tomorrow action will shift to the classification matches with Ethiopia facing DR Congo to determine which team will be ranked seventh and eighth, while Eritrea battle Uganda in a fifth and sixth ranking match. The tournament will come to climax on July 30th.
Young Africans SC have retained the Tanzania Premier League title.
Coach Miguel Gamondi’s team brushed a side Mtibwa FC 3-1 in a League match played on Monday at the Manungu Complex in Morogoro to claim the 2023/2024 title.
Charles Ilanfya gave the home side a 1-0 first half lead, but Young Africans SC fought back after recess to score three.
Goals by Kennedy Musonda, an own goal by Nasry Kombo and Clement Nzie were enough to see Young Africans SC collect vital three points.
The win sent Young Africans SC to 71 points with three more matches to play, while Azam FC are second on 60 points and Simba SC third with 57 points.
” I want to thank the players for the hard work. Playing against Mtibwa FC was not an easy match, but am glad the players worked hard and won. It has been a very busy season of hard work and am grateful to the players and management, ” said Gamondi.
The Argentine made it clear that Young Africans SC has what it takes to win several titles and now they will complete the League and other tournaments locally before starting to plan well for next season.
Gamondi also guided Young Africans SC to the quarter final stage of the 2023/2024 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League where they lost 3-2 in penalties to Mamelodi Sundowns FC of South Africa.
Taifa Stars defender Novatus Dismas Miroshi has helped FC Shakhtar Donetsk win the 2023/2024 Ukrainian Premier League title.
Shakhtar Donetsk won the title after seeing off arch-rivals, Dynamo Kyiv, winning 1-0 in a League match played last Saturday.
The win sent Shakhtar Donetsk top with 70 points with two matches to yet to be played, while Dynamo Kyiv have 63 points. Shakhtar Donetsk will now represent Ukraine in the UEFA Champions League 2024/2025 qualification.
The young Miroshi has been with Shakhtar Donetsk after moving on loan from the Belgian Zulte Waregem in the summer.
Miroshi who has lately been a main player for the Taifa Stars also featured for the national team at the TotalEnergies Caf Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) held in Cote d’Ivoire early this year.
Apart from Miroshi, FC Shakhtar Donetsk also boost of another African player Lassina Traore from Burkina Faso.
Vital’O are the 2023/2024 Burundi Primus Premier League champions.
Coach Parris Sahabo’s team will now represent Burundi in the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions league.
Sahabo’s team finished with 72 points from 30 matches played, while Flambeau du Centre who put up a good show came second with 69 points.
” We are very happy that after hard work through out the season we have lifted the title and can now play at continental level, ” says Vital’O coach Sahabo.
Vital’O who who had last lifted the Burundi Primus Premier League title in the 2015/2016 season have won the title a record 21 times. Inter FC have lifted the title 9 times, while Bumamuru FC only recorded it once in the 2022/2023 season.
The other Premier League that has been decided in the CECAFA Zone is Rwanda where APR FC emerged champions.
The Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) officials have welcomed the recent Zonal Unions tactical workshop held in Cairo, Egypt.
Organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the workshop that took place May 29-30th at the Movenpick Media City Hotel attracted over 40 members from all the six Zones in Africa.
Auka John Gecheo, the CECAFA Executive Director said the workshop that brought together all Zones under one room was very fruitful and insightful. ” This is the first time did was done and hopefully this is the beginning of greater things in the Zone, ” added Gecheo.
The CECAFA Competitions Manager, Yusuf Mossi also made it clear that having this kind of workshop for the first time was clear testimony of better things to come. ” We are definitely moving forward if we can have such a workshop with all Zones discussing to map out strategies, ” added Mossi.
Jean Sseninde, the Women’s Football Development manager said the workshop was very insightful and helped all members continue educating themselves as they work for the further progress and development of Football.
The two-day tactical Workshop focused on practical steps that will lead to accelerated development and stronger cooperation between CAF and the Zonal Unions.
Sarah Mukuna, CAF Director of Member Associations thanked all the staff of the six Zones for attending the workshop which is a part of the commitment made by CAF Leadership under the President Dr. Patrice Motsepe to strengthen the Zonal Unions and also enhance capacity through knowledge exchange.
The other staff from the CECAFA secretariat who attended the workshop include; Andrew Oryada (Marketing and Communications Manager), Baraka Kizuguto (Football Development Manager), Deocratias Meso (Finance Manager), Ali Ahmed (Head of Referees department) and CECAFA Administaror Veronica Lusichi.
-
CECAFA9 years agoBotswana beats Kenya in African Youth Championships
-
Top stories4 years agoWe need to win the first match against Coronavirus – Infantino
-
CECAFA5 years agoCecafa mourns former chairman Tesfaye Ghebreyesus
-
CAF4 years agoCAF approves dates for 2020 Total African Nations Championship in Cameroon
-
CECAFA U-18 Boys Championship6 months agoSemi-final stage set for CECAFA U-18 Championship 2023
-
Top stories4 years agoZanzibar prepares to host 2020 Mapinduzi Cup
-
NEWS3 years agoFIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers: Eritrea ejects Djibouti 6-1 on aggregate
-
AFCON 2023 Qualifiers2 years agoEritrea confirm pulling out of AFCON 2023 qualifiers