Uganda and Tanzania are the winners of the boys and girls’ categories at the CAF African Schools Football Championship CECAFA qualifiers.

The two teams qualified to represent the CECAFA Zone at the continental Championship next year after the Zonal qualifiers ended on Tuesday at the St. Mary’s Stadium, Kitende in Uganda.

In the Boy’s category Uganda battled to a goalless draw against Ethiopia, but won 3-2 in penalty shootouts. Tanzania defeated Burundi 2-0 in the play-off to finish third and win bronze.

Nabil Kajumba, Uganda’s boy’s top scorer told Cecafaonline that he was very happy to have played a key role to help the team win and qualify to play at continental level next year. “We worked hard and we have finally lifted the trophy,” said a happy Kajumba.

In the Girl’s category Tanzania and Ethiopia battled to a goalless draw. The Tanzanian side won 5-4 in penalty kicks, while Uganda also defeated Burundi 2-0 to win bronze.

The winning teams in each category will also receive US$100,000, the runners-up US$75,000 and the third placed US$50,000. The cash prizes are earmarked for development projects back in the respective schools.

The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) 1^st Vice President, Justus Mugisha said they are delighted to have hosted a successful tournament. “We are glad to have hosted a second Schools tournament in a row,” added Mugisha.

The Zonal qualifiers featured Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Djibouti.

Tanzania’s Hajra Mawanja and Nabil Kajumba (Uganda) scooped the top scorers’ Awards at the concluded CAF African Schools Football Championship CECAFA qualifiers on Tuesday in Uganda.

Mawanja who helped Tanzania win the Girl’s title finished top with six goals, while Kajumba netted seven goals and also guided Uganda to win the top prize.

“It is a very good feeling finishing as top scorer in the Championship and helping my team win gold,” said a happy Mawanja after the match at the St. Mary’s Stadium, Kitende.

While the Fair-play Award was won by Burundi and Uganda for the Boys and Girls categories respectively, Ramadhan Ngendabanyikwa (Burundi) and Lukia Seleman (Tanzania) were also voted best goalkeepers for the boys and girls repespectively.

Uganda’s duo of Henry Muhoozi and Lydia Namaseruka were voted best players of the Championship for the boys and girls respectively.

The Awards were presented by the CECAFA Acting President Alexandre Muyenge, Vice President Paulous Weldehaimanot Andemariam and CECAFA Excom member Petra Doris Atieno. The other members who graced the Awards ceremony included the 1^st Vice President of the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) Justus Mugisha, the FUFA CEO Edgar Watson, and the TotalEnergies Strategy and New Energies Manager, Carol Katungi.

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Awards

Fair-play Awards

Boys: Burundi

Girls: Uganda

Best goalkeeper

Boys: Ramadhan Ngendabanyikwa (Burundi)

Girls: Lukia Seleman (Tanzania)

Top scorer

Boys: Nabil Kajumba (Uganda)

Hajra Mawanja (Tanzania)

Best Player

Henry Muhoozi (Uganda)

Lydia Namaseruka (Uganda)

Bronze medal winners

Boys: Tanzania

Girls: Uganda

Silver medal winners

Boys: Ethiopia

Girls: Ethiopia

Gold medal winners

Boys: Uganda

Girls: Tanzania

The Tanzania national football team has pitched camp in Cairo, Egypt ahead of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025.

Taifa Stars are placed in Group C alongside Nigeria, Tunisia and Uganda for the tournament slated to run December 21^st to January 18^th, 2026 in Morocco.

The camp in Egypt which started on Monday offers Taifa Stars an opportunity to acclimatise to conditions similar to those expected in Morocco, ensuring the players are prepared for the intensity of the tournament.

The Tanzanian team who will be determined to qualify for the knock out stage are under the watchful eyes of Argentine Pablo Gamondi.

In the squad are two experienced players Mbwana Samatta and Simon Msuva who ply their trade in France and Iraq respectively.

Also included is experienced forward Simon Msuva, currently playing in Iraq, after being part of the provisional squad. His experience and goal-scoring ability offer added attacking depth.

Taifa Stars will begin the AFCON campaign against Nigeria on December 23 in Fez, followed by fixtures against fellow CECAFA team Uganda on December 27 and Tunisia on December 30.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Yakoub Suleiman (Simba SC), Hussein Masalanga (Singida BS), Zuberi Foba (Azam FC)

Defenders: Bakari Mwamnyeto (Young Africans SC), Shomari Kapombe (Simba SC), Lusajo Mwaikenda (Azam FC), Mohamed Hussein (Young Africans SC), Nickson Kibabage (Simba SC), Alphonse Mkabule (Shamakhi, Azerbaijan), Wilson Nnang (Simba SC), Novatus Dismas (Göztepe FC, Turkey), Kelvin Nashon (Tanda Jiji), Pascal Msindo (Azam FC), Haji Mnoga (Salford City, England), Dickson Job (Young Africans)

Midfielders / Forwards: Ibrahim Abdulla (Young Africans), Habibu Iddi (Singida BS), Tarrryn Allouche (Rochdale AFC, England), Charles Mombwa (Floriana FC, Malta), Morice Abraham (Simba SC), Feisal Salum (Azam FC), Ahmed Pipino (Azam FC), Abdul Suleiman (Azam FC), Iddi Selemani (Azam FC), Mbwana Samatta (Le Havre, France), Elias Maguli (Azam FC / Ufaransa), Shomari Lawi (Aalborg BK, Denmark), Simon Msuva (Al-Talaba, Iraq)

Two teams from Ethiopia have reached the finals of the CAF African Schools Football Championship CECAFA qualifiers.

After a goalless encounter Ethiopia stopped Burundi 14-13 in penalty shootouts to advance to the final of the Boys category in a match played at the St.Marys Stadium, Kitende in Uganda.

The Ethiopian team that last participated in the Zonal qualifiers in 2022 in Tanzania registered wins in all their three matches played in the group stage.

In the second boy’s semi final Uganda defeated the 2024 Zonal champions and African champions Tanzania 2-0. The tournament’s leading scorer Nabil Kajumba and Owen Mukisa netted the goals for Uganda.

“We are very happy to reach the final again after we lost in the final last year. We shall remain focused ahead of the final against Ethiopia,” said Uganda’s coach Ronald Mulajje.

Ethiopia also advanced to the final in the girl’s category after they silenced Uganda 3-2 in penalty shootouts after the match had ended goalless.

Tanzania who won the Zonal title in the inaugural Zonal qualifiers in 2022 ejected Burundi at the semi final stage 2-0. Hajra Selemani Mawanja netted a brace for Tanzania.

The finals and play-off for third place will be played on Tuesday. A cash prize of US$100,000 will go to the winners, US$75,000 to the silver medalists and US$50,000 for the bronze medal winners. The cash prizes are all used towards a project back at the schools.