NEWS
AFCON QUALIFIERS: Tricky home ties for Uganda, Rwanda
Five teams from the Council of East and Central African Football (CECAFA) region will be in action later today in the Total Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
Regional giants Uganda Cranes will host Burkina Faso in a Group B match at the St. Marys Stadium, Kitende in what promises to be a thriller.
Uganda are second in the group with 7 points, and victory for them against Burkina Faso who lead with 8 points will see them qualify for their third straight AFCON. “We need to focus and to get a good result against Burkina Faso because the game is very important before we even travel to face Malawi next week,” said Uganda Cranes assistant coach Abdallah Mubiru.
The Bright Star of South Sudan who picked their first three points in the 1-0 win against Uganda will host Malawi in another Group B match at the Al Hilal Stadium in Khartoum Sudan. The South Sudan team play all their away matches away from home because the Juba National Stadium is still under renovation.
Rwanda who are bottom of Group F will host second placed Mozambique in Kigali is a game they must win if they hope to turn their campaign round. The Amavubi are riding on the motivation picked from the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) where they reached the quarter final stage.
Cameroon lead Group F with 10 points, while Mozambique and Cape Verde have 4 points each, and Rwanda only 2 points.
Sudan who play away to bottom placed Sao Tome & Principe in Group C will have to be at their best to collect maximum points to brighten their chances of qualification.
The Sudan team are third in the Group with 6 points, but both table leaders Ghana and South Africa are tied on 9 points.
Ethiopia under new coach Wubetu Abate will also be hungry to collect maximum points at home when they host Madagascar in a Group K match. “We have prepared well and we must play with caution and take our chances,” said Abate.
Ethiopia are third in the Group with 6 points, while Ivory Coast and Madagascar have 7 points each, and Niger bottom of the log with 3 points.
Two other teams from the CECAFA region Kenya and Tanzania will be in action on Thursday against Egypt and Equatorial Guinea respectively. On Friday Burundi will host the Central African Republic in a Group E match in Bujumbura.
Hosts Uganda and Somalia have qualified for the semi-final stage at the on-going TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) – CECAFA qualifiers.
Somalia, the 2022 Zonal champions needed a late goal to see off Sudan 1-0 in Group B tie played at the Nakivubo Hamz Stadium in Kampala on Saturday.
Sakariye Mohamed netted the vital goal for the Somalia team two minutes into added time to send the Somalian fans into celebrations.
“We are very happy that we kept strong and pushed on till we scored the vital goal,” said Somalia’s assistant coach Muqtar Ali.
In the second match the hosts Uganda Cubs humbled Kenya 5-0 to finish top of Group A ahead of Tanzania.
Uganda netted three goals in the first half with James Bogere converting an early penalty and added his second before the interval. Isima Mulala Magala also got his name on the score sheet in the first half.
After recess Bogere netted his third goal after 58 minutes after the Kenyan defending line again failed to close out spaces. Substitute Simon Wanyama also made sure he increased Uganda’s lead to five goals with a hard shot after 78 minutes.
Uganda will now face Somalia in the second semi-final match, while South Sudan battle Tanzania on December 24th, 2024. The finalists will automatically qualify for the TotalEergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to take place next year in Ivory Coast.
The final stage of the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship 2024 takes centre stage this weekend with two matches on card in the CECAFA Zone.
South Sudan who stopped Kenya in the last round will host Rwanda at the Juba National Stadium, while Ethiopia face Sudan in a match to be played in Benghazi, Libya, all on Sunday.
Burundi will also face Uganda in the first leg on December 26th in a match they will host at the Nakivubo Hamz Stadium in Kampala. The return legs will be played before December 29th, 2024.
Already hosts of the CHAN 2024 Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania have automatically qualified ahead of the 19 teams tournament exclusively featuring players from domestic leagues across Africa.
The tournament will take place in East Africa from February 1-28, 2025. It is only Sudan and Rwanda who have hosted the CHAN tournament before in the CECAFA Zone.
AFRICAN NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP
CAF President praises Wallace Karia for Football development in Tanzania
The President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Dr. Patrice Motsepe has praised Wallace Karia for the good work he is doing in the development of Football in Tanzania.
Dr. Motsepe said this in Dar es Salaam on Thursday during the start of his two- day visit of the three nations that will host the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship 2024 (CHAN).
“I am proud of the good work Wallace Karia is doing in the development of Football in Tanzania,” Dr. Motsepe said this while touring the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium. Karia is the President of the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) and the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA).
The CAF President also thanked Tanzania’s President, Her Excellency Samia Suluhu Hassan and Hussein Mwinyi, the President of Zanzibar for the continuously support of football development.
Dr. Motsepe was accompanied by the 4th CAF Vice President Seidou Mbombo Njoya, Chairperson of the CHAN Organising Committee, Tanzania Football Federation President Wallace Karia and CAF General Secretary Veron Mosengo-Omba.
The CAF delegation are expected to arrive in Nairobi, Kenya on Thursday night ahead of their inspection on Friday and a meeting with Kenya President William Ruto and leadership of Kenya Football Federation. They will later travel to Kampala on Friday afternoon to meet with the Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and the leadership of FUFA.
Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda will hosts CHAN 2024 from 1 to 28 February 2025.
CAF Confederation Cup
President Samia Suluhu applauds Simba SC for stopping CS Sfaxien in CAF Confederation tie
The President of Tanzania, Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan has applauded Simba SC following their 2-1 win against CS Sfaxien in a TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup match played on Sunday in Dar es salaam.
Sfaxien took an early lead through Hazem Haj Hassen after only three minutes at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, but Simba SC fought back strongly.
Denis Kibu leveled matters four minutes later and netted the winning goal nine minutes into added time.
The win sends Simba SC to six points and third on the log, while Bravos do Maquis who beat CS Constantine last evening 3-2 move top of Group A.
Following Simba SC’s hard fought victory, the President of Tanzania Samia Suluhu Hassan has come out to congratulate them for the good display.
“Congratulations to the Lions Club for the victory in the Confederations Cup game in Africa against CS Sfaxien. You continue to give Tanzanians happiness and entertainment by flying the flag of our country internationally, while we continue to remain united in work, peace, unity, stability and solidarity. I wish you all the best in your next games,” said the President
Simba SC, CECAFA’s only representatives in the Group stage of the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup will next travel to face CS Sfaxien on January 5th, 2025 in Tunisia.
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