Senior Challenge Cup
The annual CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup is considered the oldest football tournament in Africa.
The tournament is collaborative between the larger Eastern African countries and part of Central Africa and run by the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA). CECAFA is made up of 11 members ten of whom are federations recognized by FIFA; Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Burundi, Somalia, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Kenya while the 11th – Zanzibar is still chasing Association status with the World governing body.
The tournament began way back in 1926 under the name Gossage Cup which then was mainly a Kenya-Uganda affair. But it grew to include Tanganyika, the present day Tanzania from 1945 and later it became a four nation event when Zanzibar joined in 1949. Gossage Cup, sponsored by Soap manufacturer William Gossage gave way to the East and Central African Senior Challenge Cup in 1967.
Under this banner, the tournament ran for only five years till 1971 before giving way to the present day CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup which effectively kicked off in 1973. First event The first ever CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup was held in Uganda in 1973 and the hosts Uganda emerged winners beating Tanzania 2-1 in the finals.
