Malawi will send a team to the inaugural 2025 CECAFA Beach Soccer Championship slated for June 6-11^th in Mombasa, Kenya.

“Malawi have confirmed that they will take part in the CECAFA Beach Soccer Championship next month,” Yusuf Mossi, the CECAFA Competitions Director confirmed on Wednesday.

The Championship which will kick start the 2025 CECAFA season will take place at the Pirates Beach. “We are excited that a guest side from another Zone will be taking part and we are still in talks with another country to send a team,” added Mossi.

He explained that depending on the number of teams, the Championship is likely to be played on a round robin basis so that teams can also have as many matches as possible.

“From the CECAFA Zone we already have Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Zanzibar who have confirmed participation,” added Mossi.

After the Beach Soccer Championship, the Zone will organize the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup, CECAFA Dar Port-Kagame Cup, CAF U-17 Zonal qualifier, CAF African Schools Football Championship Zonal Qualifier, CAF Women’s Champions League Zonal Qualifier and the CECAFA Women’s Challenge Cup.

Jamus Sports Club have retained the Zain South Sudan Cup edging El Merriekh SC Bentiu in the final played on Tuesday.

After the two teams failed to find the goals in the allotted 90 minutes at the Juba National Stadium, Jamus SC came out top winning 4-2 on penalty shoot-outs.

Jamus goalkeeper Majak Mawit Maling stopped two penalties to ensure his team recorded yet another win against their arch rivals.

Jamus head coach Jean Claude Loboko praised his players for winning the Cup. “Lifting this Cup means a lot to us as we now turn focus to the South Sudan Premier League,” added Loboko, also voted best coach of the competition.

Jamus SC secured a place in the final after ejecting Koryrom FC 2-0, while El Merriekh SC Bentiu saw off Aweil United FC 5-0.

The win also granted Jamus SC the opportunity to represent South Sudan at the CECAFA Dar Port Kagame Cup 2025 expected to take place in July in Tanzania.

Although they are placed third Jamus SC will also have a chance to win a double as they are unbeaten in the South Sudan Premier League.

The Awards ceremony was graced by the South Sudan Football Association (SSFA) President and Acting President of CECAFA, Augustino Parek Maduot, and other dignitaries.

Zain South Sudan are the sponsors of the 2024/2025 Zain South Sudan Cup which attracted over 30 teams.

Uganda Cranes will play two International friendly matches against Cameroon and The Gambia during the FIFA International match calendar Window next month.

Coach Paul Put’s team will face Cameroon who played ay the 2022 World Cup on June 6^th, and later battle The Gambia three days later. The matches will be played in Morocco.

Uganda named a 26 man squad on Tuesday including 12 players from the Uganda Premier League, and 16 foreign based players.

The Cranes will also use the two international matches to test players ahead of the upcoming TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) and the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025.

Besides Uganda Cranes, other teams in the CECAFA Zone like Rwanda and Burundi will also be engaged in International friendly matches.

The Aavubi of Rwanda will play away to Algeria on June 7^th in Constantine, while Burundi are also scheduled to play two matches against Mauritania and Guinea Bissua.

Uganda Squad summoned

Goalkeepers: Isima Watenga (Golden Arrows FC, South Africa), Nafian Alionzi (Defence Forces FC, Ethiopia), Joel Mutakubwa (Bidco FC, Uganda), Hannington Sebwalunyo (NEC FC, Uganda).

Defenders: Elvis Bwomono (St Mirren FC, Scotland), Nico Wadada (Vipers SC, Uganda), Elio Capradossi (AS Cittadella, Italy), Arnold Odong (SC Villa, Uganda), Toby Sibbick (Wigan Athletic FC, England), Hilary Mukundane (Vipers SC, Uganda), Jordan Obita (Hibernian FC, Scotland), Isaac Muleme (Viktoria Žižkov, Czech Republic).

Midfielders: Bobosi Byaruhanga (Oakland Roots SC, USA), Kenneth Semakula (Club Africain, Tunisia), Allan Oyirwoth (New England Revolution, USA), Enock Ssebagala (NEC FC, Uganda), Abdu Karim Watambala (Vipers SC, Uganda), Allan Okello ( Vipers SC, Uganda), Travis Mutyaba (Bordeaux, France).

Forwards: Dennis Omedi (APR FC, Rwanda), Hakim Kiwanuka ( APR FC, Rwanda), Shafik Nana Kwikiriza (KCCA FC, Uganda), Rogers Mato (FK Vardar, North Macedonia), Steven Mukwala ( Simba SC, Tanzania), Usama Arafat (KCCA FC, Uganda), John Paul Dembe (AC Hacken, Sweden), Patrick Jonah Kakande (SC Villa, Uganda), Ivan Ahimbisibwe (URA FC, Uganda)

The head coach of Simba SC Fadlu Davids has said his is still optimistic his team can tur tables when they face RS Berkane in the return leg of the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup final.

RS Berkane, the newly crowned Morocco Premier League champions defeated Simba SC 2-0 in the first leg of the final played at the Berkane Municipal Stadium on Saturday evening.

Mamadou Camara nodded in the opening goal after 8 minutes off a Hamza El Moussaoui corner, while Oussama Lamlaoui doubled Berkane’s lead six minutes later.

Simba SC were unlucky when Abdulrazack Hamza limped off injured before the interval. Leonel Ateba and Elie Mpanzu both came close to finding goals for the Tanzanian Premier League side, but the home side stood firm.

However, the Simba SC coach Fadlu Davids has made it clear that they still have a chance in the return leg on May 25^th.

“The final is played over two legs and we have a chance to get back to the drawing board and plan better. We conceded two early goals which put us on a back footing, but I am optimistic we can still perform better in the return leg,” added the coach.

Simba SC, finalists in this competition back in 1993 will be eager to ink a new record when they host the Moroccan team in the return leg of the final.