The South Sudan team will start their campaign against Uganda Cubs as the Zonal Africa Cup of Nations U-17 qualifiers kick-off on December 12^th in Rwanda.

Seven teams will take part in the qualifiers which will be held at the Umuganda Stadium in Rubavu District.

In the fresh draws conducted on Thursday hosts Rwanda will also battle against Tanzania in a Group B match on Saturday at the same venue.

The other Council of East and Central African Football Associations (Cecafa) member countries Eritrea, Sudan, Burundi did not send teams for the competition, while Somalia are still serving a ban after confirming participation and later failing to play in the Zonal Afcon U-17 qualifiers in 2018.

“We expect a very competitive tournament because teams have been preparing for some time,” said Yusuf Mosi, the Cecafa Director of Competitions.

The best two teams in the qualifiers will represent the region at the Afcon U-17 next year, March 12-31st in Morocco.

Group A: Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan

Group B: Rwanda, Djibouti, Tanzania

Uganda are the 2020 CECAFA U-20 champions after a 4-1  emphatic win over Tanzania in a thrilling final at the Black Rhino Academy in Karatu.

CECAFA U-20 Challenge Cup 2020:

• Final: Uganda 4-1 Tanzania
• Third place: Kenya 1 South Sudan 2
• Fair Play Award: Tanzania
• Best Goalkeeper: Simon Justine (South Sudan)
• Top Scorers: Ivan Bogere (Uganda), Selemani Hamis (Tanzania) – 5 Goals
• Bronze Medal: South Sudan
• Best Player: Pascal Isindo

Uganda’s under-20 national football side dethroned the hosts and title holders, Tanzania in Arusha and lift the 2020 CECAFA U-20 championship on Wednesday.

Richard Basangwa, Steven Sserwadda, lethal striker Ivan Bogere, and Kenneth Semakula were all pn the score sheet for Uganda while Selemani Hamisi netted the consolation for the hosts in a match where Uganda also missed a penalty kick.

Richard Basangwa  opening the scoring in the  12th-minute  which later on Abdul Hamisi Suleiman’s composed penalty  restored back parity at the half-hour mark.

Steven Sserwada restored Uganda’s lead before the break. Uganda would have extended the lead but the leading goalscorer Ivan Bogere hit the woodwork, missing a penalty awarded  after Isma Mugulusi was brought down inside the box.

Bogere returned after the interval to make amends for this opening half profligacy with a wonder goal – his tournament-leading fifth – to put The Hippos firmly in charge.

Aziz Kayondo then caught substitute home keeper Razak Shekimweri – who replaced Zuberi Masudi – off his line with an embarrassing long-range goal to complete the rout and apply the gloss to a memorable production away from the comforts of home for the Ugandan lads.

The final whistle was treated with wild celebrations by the Ugandan players on the field of play, technical area, and the delegation in the stands led by the FUFA President Moses Magogo, also a CAFExecutive Committee member.

Byekwaso’s charges will also relish a timely measure of revenge against the Tanzanians, who knocked them out of this competitive last year at the quarter-final stage when Uganda hosted the competition.

Awards

South Sudan’s Jack Komakech was named the best goalkeeper of the tournament, Bogere took home the golden boot with 5 goals, Tanzanian Pascal Isindo emerged as the best player and Tanzania took home the fair play award.

Sudan Premier League side Al Hilal have qualified for the lucrative group stage of the Total CAF Champions League. After battling to an away goalless draw against Enyimba in Nigeria, the Sudan side won the return leg 1-0 in Khartoum on Sunday.

Midfielder Mohamed Moussa Dai scored after 48 minutes at the Al Hilal Stadium in Omdurman against the two time African champions.

Kenya’s Gor Mahia FC were lost 2-0 to Tunisia’s Ben Guedance to join the other Cecafa teams that exited the competition. Uganda’s KCCA FC and Young Africans FC (Tanzania) are the other Cecafa teams that failed over the weekend to make it to the group stage.

Some of the other teams that are through to the group stage include; Etoile du Sahel, Primeiro De Agosto, JS Kabylie, TP Mazembe, Vita Club, Al Ahly, USM Alger, Raja Casablanca, Zesco United, ES Tunis and FC Platinum.

The draw for the group stage will be made on October 9th in Cairo, Egypt.

Kenya’s U-20 team Raising Stars and South Sudan have arrived in Jinja ahead of the start of the Cecafa U-20 Challenge Cup. Coach Stanley Okumbi, Kenya’s coach made it clear that his team has prepared well and they are determined to give it their best.

Kenya who arrived this morning by road from Nairobi will open their campaign with a game against Zanzibar on Sunday at the Fufa technical Centre, Njeru.

The South Sudan team also arrived last night by Road from Juba and are accommodated at Nile Hotel. The team is handled by coach Simon James Yor.

The tournament which will bring together 11 countries will run September 21st to October 5th in the towns of Njeru and Gulu.

Nicholas Musonye, the secretary general of the Council of East and Central African Football Associations (Cecafa) said they expect a very competitive tournament. “We are happy with the facilities Uganda has provided for this tournament,” added Musonye.

The tournament sponsored by FIFA will kick off on September 21st with Sudan facing Djibouti, while hosts Uganda take on Eritrea in Group A matches at the Pece War Memorial Stadium in Gulu.

The Fufa technical center in Njeru will host Group B and C. Group B has Kenya, Ethiopia, Zanzibar and Tanzania, while Burundi, Somalia and South Sudan are in Group C.

Group A – Uganda, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti

Group B –  Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zanzibar

Group C –  Burundi, South Sudan, Somalia