APR FC’s young attacking midfielder Rouaf Dao Memel has said he is more motivated after winning the Best player Award at the CECAFA Kagame Cup 2025.

The 22-year old Rouaf Dao from Burkina Faso who only joined the Rwandan champions recently said he is glad being the winner of the Award.

“This Award will motivate me to keep working hard because it means really a lot to me,” said the player who also scored the lone goal against KMC FC to help APR FC finish third in the tournament that climaxed on Monday.

Taleb Abderrahim, the APR FC coach said that he was impressed with Roauaf Dao’s good show at the tournament. “He is a young player who has just joined the team and has a lot of potential. This Award is the start of good things to come,” added the coach.

In the other categories Al Hilal SC bagged the Fair Play Award, while Singida Black Stars FC’s Metacha Mnata was voted best goalkeeper.

Zambian International Clatous Chota Chama who recently moved from Young Africans SC and netted a brace to help Singida Black Stars FC win the CECAFA Kagame Cup 2025 was awarded the top scorers’s Award.

After the Awards at the KMC Stadium, the sponsors Betika also hosted the teams and officials to a Gala Dinner at the SuperDome in Masaki.

CECAFA Head of Marketing and Communications, Andrew Jackson Oryada delivered the speech of the Acting President of CECAFA, Alexandre Muyenge who was in Cairo, Egypt to attend a high profile meeting with CAF .

Awards

Winners: Singida Black Stars FC (Tanzania)

Runner-up: Al Hilal SC (Sudan)

Third placed: APR FC (Rwanda)

Best Player Award: Raouaf Dao Memel (APR FC)

Fair Play Award: Al Hilal SC (Sudan)

Top Scorer’s Award: Clatous Chota Chama (Singida Black Stars FC)

Best Goalkeeper Award: Metacha Mnata (Singida Black Stars FC)

Tanzania Premier League side, Singida Black Stars FC are the winners of the CECAFA Kagame Cup 2025.

Clatous Chota Chama netted in each half to guide Singida Black Stars FC to a 2-1 win against Al Hilal SC in the final played at the KMC Stadium on Monday in Dare es Salaam, Tanzania.

The new signing from Young African SC put Coach Muguel Gamondis’ team ahead after 21 minutes with a tight finish.

Sudan Premier League champions Al Hilal SC did not give up and kept pushing forward. Ten minutes later Abdelrazig Taha leveled matters for Al Hilal SC.

The second half started with a high tempo by both sides, but Chama squeezed in the second goal from a narrow angle past the Al Hilal SC goalkeeper Soufiane Farid to make it 2-1 for Singida Black Stars SC.

Al Hilal SC, the 2024 bronze medalists tried to push forward to find more goals, but failed to beat the Singida Black Stars FC defending line. It was all celebration for the home fans at the final whistle.

“We played awith a lot of discipline and I am happy that we are the winners,” said Singida Black Stars coach Miguel Gamondi. It is the first time Singida Black Stars FC win the regional title.

The winners received gold medals and cash prize of US$30,000, the runner up US$20,000 and silver medals, and the third placed APR FC (Rwanda) who stopped KMC FC in a play-off match 1-0 picked bronze medals and US$10,000. Wallace Karia, CAF Executive member and President of the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) was the guest of honour.

The tournament sponsored by Betika attracted 12 teams from Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Zanzibar, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan, South Sudan and Djibouti.

The curtains will finally come down when the CECAFA Kagame Cup 2025 comes to a climax today at the KMC Stadium in Dar es salaam, Tanzania.

It is a total of US$60,000 at stake for the best three teams, supported by the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame. Betika are the sponsor of the competition.

The play-off match for a bronze medal and US$10,000 will see APR FC (Rwanda) face Tanzania Premier League side KMC FC, while two sides that have never lifted the regional trophy before Al Hilal SC (Sudan) and Singida Black Stars FC (Tanzania) battle in the final.

US$30,000 and gold medals will be up for the champions, while the runner-up takes silver and US$20,000.

Going into the final hurdle Al Hilal SC ejected APR FC 3-1, while Singida Black Stars FC defeated KMC FC 2-0 at the semi final stage of the tournament which kicked off with 12 teams.

Laurentiu Aureliant Reghecampf, the Al Hilal SC coach has made it clear that his team is very ready to go all out and try to win the trophy. “We are very motivated and prepared to work hard and win. This final and the whole CECAFA Kagame Cup has helped us prepare well ahead of the CAF Champions League,” added the Al Hilal coach whose team is unbeaten in the competition.

But experienced Miguel Gamondi, the Singida Black Stars FC head coach has also made it clear that this is not just a final, but it’s a special one since he has also just joined the club recently. “I have had the opportunity to test players ahead of the upcoming season. We are treating the final very seriously and we know the kind of team we are facing. My team is very ready,” added Gamondi.

While Al Hilal SC and Singida Black Stars FC will be chasing their first CECAFA Kagame Cup title, Simba SC (Tanzania) and AFC Leopards (Kenya) are the most successful teams winning the titles a record six times each. Young Africans SC (Tanzania) and Tusker FC (Kenya) have lifted the regional title five times each.

The CECAFA Kagame Cup will also for the first time have the Awards Gala after the competition. The sponsors Betika will host the teams, officials and organisers to the Awards Gala at the SuperDome in Masaki after the final. .

Winners of the past 20 Editions

2024 – Red Arrows FC (Zambia)

2021 – Express FC (Uganda)

2019 – KCCA FC (Uganda)

2018 – Azam FC (Tanzania)

2015 – Azam FC (Tanzania)

2014 – Al Merriekh (Sudan)

2013 – Vital-O (Burundi)

2012 – Young Africans SC (Tanzania)

2011 – Young Africans SC (Tanzania)

2010 – APR FC (Rwanda)

2009 – ATRACO FC (Rwanda)

2008 – Tusker FC (Kenya)

2007 – APR FC (Rwanda)

2026 – Police FC (Uganda)

2005 – SC Villa (Uganda)

2004 – APR FC (Rwanda)

2003 – SC Villa (Uganda)

2002 – Simba SC (Tanzania)

2001 – Tusker FC (Kenya)

2000 – Tusker FC (Kenya)

Sudan giants Al Hilal SC will face Singida Black Stars FC in the final of the CECAFA Kagame Cup 2025 on Monday.

The two sides eased passed their opponents at the semi final stage on Saturday at the KMC Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Al Hilal SC revenged against Rwanda’s APR FC who defeated them at the same stage last year.

The Sudan Premier League champions stopped APR FC 3-1, while Singida Black Stars FC defeated KMC FC 2-0 in the second semi final clash.

Togui M. William scored his third goal of the tournament to put APR FC ahead after 40 minutes. With eight minutes to full Al Hilal SC pushed forward and leveled matters through Abdelrazig Taha.

The game headed into extra 30 minutes as Al Hilal scored two more goals through Nigerian forward Sunday Damilare and Ahmed Salem.

Laurentiu Aurelian Reghecampf, the Al Hilal SC coach said he was happy with the way his team responded to win the match. “It was a very tough match against a strong team. But I thank my players for working hard to win the match,” added Reghecampf.

In the second semi final match, Singida Black Stars FC who will represent Tanzania in the 2025/2026 CAF Confederation Cup scored in each half to reach the final.

New signing Zambian International Clatous Chota Chama netted his first goal for the team after 45 minutes, while Ande Koffi also got his name on the score board after 64 minutes.

“I am happy that my players responded well including the new players. We go back to the drawing board to prepare for the final,” adde Singida Black Stars FC’s coach Miguel Gamondi.

The tournament sponsored by Betika kicked off with 12 teams taking part. The winners will bag a cash prize of US$30,000 and gold medals, while the runner-up takes US$20,000 and silver medals, and the third placed US$10,000 and bronze medals. Rwanda President, Paul Kagame has been providing the cash prize.