AFCON U-17 QUALIFIERS: Hosts Rwanda face tough test against Tanzania

The Zonal qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) U-17 for the Cecafa region kick off this afternoon with hosts Rwanda battling Tanzania.

After the disqualification of South Sudan after some players failed MRI tests, the scheduled first game cannot take place. Rwanda will face Tanzania in a Group B game at the Umuganda Stadium in Rubavu District.

“We need to make sure that we start well in the tournament with a good result. The players know what to expect and we shall take the game with a lot of caution,” said Rwanda’s coach Yves Rwasamanzi.

According to the new fixture issued by the Council of East and Central African Football Associations (Cecafa), Ethiopia will battle Kenya on Sunday in a Group A match.

Action will return on Tuesday with Rwanda facing Djibouti, before Uganda take on Kenya on Wednesday. The last games in the group stages will be played on Friday before the semi-finals to be played on December 20^th and the finals and play-off for third place on December 22^nd.

The best two teams will qualify to represent the region at the Afcon U-17 competition next year in Morocco. The tournament will take place March 13-31^st.