CECAFA NEWS
CECAFA hold successful safeguarding workshop in Uganda
The Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) has successfully held a Safeguarding workshop in the Eastern Town of Njeru.
The workshop was held on Wednesday on the sidelines of the on-going CECAFA U-15 Boys Championship.
Veronica Bwamula Lusichi, a recent graduate of a FIFA Safeguarding diploma and CECAFA Safeguarding focal point organised the workshop which attracted all the eight teams and match officials at the Championship.
” As CECAFA we have set values, standards, rules and principles to all players, referees and coaches in regards to safeguarding. It was a nice engaging course that helps everyone understand how safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, ” added Lusichi who is also the head of administration in CECAFA.
The workshop that attracted over 200 members as match officials and teams were divided separately at the Pearl of Africa Hotel and the FUFA Technical Centre, Njeru.
Lusichi made it clear to the participants at the workshops that some of the safeguarding values include; to prevent harm and reduce the risk of abuse, to educate people the importance of safeguarding which is all about everyone to be involved, to stop abuses and neglect and the obligation to teach everyone their rights.
She also made it clear that they will keep educating members in the CECAFA Zone about doing the FIFA Guardians courses and organising workshops on safeguarding.
Yussuf Mossi, the CECAFA Competitions Director said having the safeguarding workshop is very timely because it brings a lot about awareness.
Lazarus Peter George, the South Sudan captain said they learnt a lot about safeguarding during this workshop. ” We now know what to practice and what to tell other footballers back in South Sudan, ” he added.
The Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) has opened the bidding process to host competitions for the 2026 season.
Seven competitions were approved during the CECAFA Elective General Assembly held in Djibouti on February 7th, 2026.
“CECAFA is pleased to open the bidding process for the hosting of its 2026 Competitions and CAF Qualifier Tournaments,” said the CECAFA Interim Executive Director in a communication sent out on February 13th.
She encouraged Member Associations to take advantage of this opportunity to showcase their capacity, infrastructure and commitment to football development within the region.
The candidate country hosting the CECAFA U-17 Boys Championship shall also undertake to host the CAF African Schools Football Championship CECAFA Qualifiers.
According to the time lines the bidding process opened on February 13th, while the submission deadline is February 27th, 2026. The CECAFA Executive Committee will shortlist the names of the hosts on March 5th, and announcement of the hosts will take place on March 9th.
CECAFA 2026 competitions
1 CECAFA U-17 Girls Championship May 30 – June 14
2 CECAFA Beach Soccer Championship July 1- 5
3 CECAFA Kagame Cup July 18 – August 9
4 CAF Women’s Champions League – CECAFA Qualifiers August 22 – September 6
5 CAF African Schools Football Championship – CECAFA Qualifiers August 12-15
6 U-20 AFCON – CECAFA Qualifiers September 19 to October 10
7 U-17 AFCON – CECAFA Qualifiers October 17-31
Police FC are the winners of the season opening 2024 FERWAFA Super Cup.
Coach Vincent Mashami’s team defeated Rwanda Premier League reigning champions APR FC 6-5 in penalty shoot-outs after the match had ended goalless in the final played at the Kigali Pele Stadium on Saturday.
The two sides created some good scoring opportunities, but failed take them. Yunusu Nshimiyimana had the best chance for APR FC, while Elijah Ani and Richard Kilongozi caused also came close for Police FC.
Mashami whose team had pre-season in Uganda and played some build-up matches said winning the Super Cup was a good motivator ahead of the new season. “We need to keep working hard because there are many matches ahead a head including the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup,” added the Police FC coach.
Police FC will now shift attention to prepare for a trip to Algeria where they will face CS Constantine in the 1st preliminary round of the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup.
APR FC who finished second in the CECAFA Dar Port Kagame Cup held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania last month will also turn their focus to their away encounter next weekend against Tanzania’s Azam FC in the 1st preliminary round of the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
Teams from the CECAFA Zone been busy during the pre-season with several build-up matches preparing ahead of the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup
Sudan’s El Merriekh played in the Value Jet Cup in Ogun State in Nigeria where they bowed out at the semi-final stage.
After missing the regional Dar Port Kagame Cup, El Merriekh who will face Libya’s Al-Nasr in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions 1st preliminary round opted to play in the pre-season tournament in Nigeria where they beat Remo Stars B and Shooting Stars, and lost to Ikorodu City in the group stage. They went on to suffer defeat 3-2 in penalty shoot-outs to eventual winners Remo Stars A after a 1-1 draw in the semis.
Azam FC who pitched camp in Morocco for the pre-season started with a build-up match in Zanzibar against Zimamoto FC that they won 4-0, and during the pre-season camp in Morocco beat US Yakoub Al Mansour 3-0, and settled for a 1-1 draw against Union Touarga. They went on to suffer a 4-1 defeat to top Moroccan Premier League side, Wydad AC. They went on to defeat Rwanda’s Rayon Sport FC 1-0 last Saturday in Kigali in a match played to celebrate Rayon Sport Day.
Youssou Dabo, the Azam FC head coach said after the match in Kigali that the pre-season where the team has played several matches has prepared them well ahead of the busy season. Azam FC will face Rwanda Premier League champions APR FC in the TotalEnergies CAF 1st preliminary round.
However, APR FC have also been busy through-out the pre-season as they played five matches in the CECAFA Dar Port Kagame Cup where they lost to guest side Red Arrows FC from Zambia in the final. The Rwanda army side also had another opportunity last Saturday when they lost 2-0 in Dar es Salaam to Simba FC who were celebrating Simba Day at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.
Sudan’s Al Hilal who played five matches in CECAFA Dar Port Kagame Cup where they finished third are also in Tunisia where they have lined up friendly matches against EGS Gafsa, ES Sahel, Stade Tunisien and CS Sfaxien.
Florent Ibenge, head coach of Al Hilal told cecafaonline that the CECAFA Dar Port Kagame Cup in Dar es Salaam gave them a very good test as they prepare for the 2024/2025 season. “The tournament gave us the opportunity to try out several aspects and we shall add with more games while in Tunisia,” added Ibenge whose team will face another Libya side Al-Ahly Benghazi in the TotalEnegries CAF Champions League 1st preliminary round.
Before stopping Red Arrows FC 2-1 on Sunday to celebrate Young Africans Day in Dar es Salaam, the Tanzanian Premier League reigning champions Young Africans SC during their pre-season tour of South Africa lost 2-1 defeat to Germany Bundesliga side, FC Augsbury, and recovered to stop South Africa Premier League side Galaxy FC 1-0. They went on to wallop another South African side Kaizer Chiefs 4-0 to win the Toyota Cup.
The other teams that participated in the CECAFA Dar Port Kagame Cup and tested their teams include SC Villa (Uganda), Gor Mahia FC (Kenya), Dekadaha FC (Somalia) and Zanzibar’s JKU SC.
Vital’O are the 2023/2024 Burundi Primus Premier League champions.
Coach Parris Sahabo’s team will now represent Burundi in the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions league.
Sahabo’s team finished with 72 points from 30 matches played, while Flambeau du Centre who put up a good show came second with 69 points.
” We are very happy that after hard work through out the season we have lifted the title and can now play at continental level, ” says Vital’O coach Sahabo.
Vital’O who who had last lifted the Burundi Primus Premier League title in the 2015/2016 season have won the title a record 21 times. Inter FC have lifted the title 9 times, while Bumamuru FC only recorded it once in the 2022/2023 season.
The other Premier League that has been decided in the CECAFA Zone is Rwanda where APR FC emerged champions.
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