NEWS
CECAFA to allow three over age players for U-23 Challenge Cup in Ethiopia
Each team will be allowed to field three over age players at the U-23 CECAFA Challenge Cup.
The regional tournament will be played in Bahir Dar between July 3-18th.
According to the rules and regulations of the tournament, the competition is limited to players 23 years old or young and each team will be allowed three over age players.
CECAFA has stated that all players of the teams must have been born on or after 1st, January, 1998 and the lower limit must be at least 18 years by the end of the calendar year in which the competition is played.
Incase a member association has fielded more than three over age players, that player shall be disqualified and nor replaced, while the team could face disqualification, a ban or asked to pay a fine.
The U-23 team of the Democratic Republic of Congo team will play in the tournament as a guest side.
CECAFA members agreed in March this year before the General Assembly of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) held in Morocco that the Challenge Cup in 2021 will be played by the U-23 teams. Each member Association is however expected to contribute US$20,000 for their team to participate.
Rwanda Premier League giants APR FC have qualified for the second preliminary round of the 2026/2027 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
After losing the first leg 1-0 to Les Aigls du Congo last weekend, APR FC defeated the DR Congo side 3-1 in the return leg played at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali on Friday.
Skipper Djibril Quattara netted in each half, while Christian Ishimwe also got his name on the score board after 58 minutes.
The match started with a high tempo with APR FC cheered on by the home fans attacking in numbers. After 32 minutes Quattara put the home side ahead and went into the interval without more goals.
Ishimwe made it 2-0 after 58 minutes, before Quattara picked his brace after 75 minutes. The win saw APR FC qualify on a 3-1 goal aggregate.
“I thank the team for responding well and getting the goals that have seen us qualify for the next round,” said APR FC’s head coach Abedrabbihi Taleb after the match.
APR FC will now wait to face the winner between AS Port (Djibouti) and former champions Zamalek (Egypt) in the second round of the preliminary stage. Zamalek lead 2-1 after the first leg and the return leg will be played on Saturday in Cairo, Egypt.
Action returns on Saturday with more teams from the CECAFA Zone in action. Al Hilal SC (Sudan) with a 2-0 advantage host Angie Noir FC (Burundi) at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, while Young Africans SC (Tanzania) host Gaborone United FC from Botswana at the Azam Complex.
South Sudan’s El Merriekh SC Bentiu with a 1-0 advantage will face Heegan FC (Somalia), Al Merrikh SC (Sudan) play away to Power Dynamos FC in Zambia.
On Sunday Zanzibar’s KVZ FC will play away to Swehly FC In Libya, Vipers SC (Uganda) face FC Noundhibou in Mauritania, Gor Mahia FC (Kenya) play Pyramids FC in Egypt, while Simba SC (Tanzania) host Mighty Wanderers FC.
CAF U-20 AFCON CECAFA qualifiers
Uganda to face Djibouti in opening tie of CAF U-20 AFCON Zonal qualifiers
The opening match of the 2027 TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) CECAFA qualifiers will see Uganda face Djibouti on September 14th in a Group B match in Dar es salaam, Tanzania.
All matches will be played at the newly renovated Uhuru Stadium.
Nine teams will tussle it out to determine the best two that will qualify to represent the CECAFA Zone at the 2027 TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.
Yusuf Mossi, the Competitions Manager of the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) told Cecafaonline that they expect a very competitive tournament because most teams started early preparations.
“We had a successful draw held in Rwanda on August 31st and three teams are placed in each of the three groups. The top teams in each of the groups, together with the best second placed team from any of the three groups will automatically qualify for the semi-final stage,” explained Mossi.
Tanzania, the reigning U-20 champions in the Zone are placed in Group A alongside Ethiopia and Rwanda, while Group B has Uganda, Sudan and Djibouti. South Sudan, Kenya and Burundi are placed in Group C.
Day 1 will also see South Sudan face Burundi in a Group C tie, while hosts Tanzania will play the last match of the day against Rwanda.
On September 17th there matches will be played with Rwanda taking on Ethiopia, Djibouti facing Sudan, and Burundi battling Kenya. The last group matches will be played on September 19th with Kenya playing South Sudan, Sudan lining up against Uganda, and Ethiopia battling Tanzania.
The semi-final matches will be played September 22nd with Group B winners facing the best second placed team, and Group A winners taking on Group C winners. The play-off and final will take center stage on September 24th.
The President of the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA), Paulos Weldehaimanot Andemariam graced the 15th Elective General Assembly of WAFU A in Gambia on September 6th, 2026.
Gambia hosted the West African Football Union A (WAFU A) Elective General Assembly in the capital Banjul.
Andemariam, also the Football President of the Eritrean National Football Federation (ENFF) together with several football leaders and delegates from across West Africa attended the Assembly.
He also held different discussions with Football leaders on regional cooperation and the continued development of the game.
Cape Verdean Football Federation, President Mario Mendes Semedo was elected new WAFU A President. He succeeds Lamin Kaba Bajo, the former President of The Gambia Football Federation.
Sarah Mukuna, the CAF Head of Member Associations, CAF Executive Committee Member Augustin Senghor, and FIFA Council Member, CAF Executive Committee Member and President of the Mauritanian Football Federation (FFRIM), Ahmed Yahya also attended the Assembly
WAFU A consists of; The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Mali, Liberia and Mauritania.
Sudan top sides Al Hilal SC and Al Merrikh SC have kick started their 2026/2026 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League campaigns with wins in the first leg first preliminary round.
Al Hilal SC, quarter finalists last season collected a 2-0 win away to Burundi’s Aigle Noir at the national Stadium in Bujumbura.
Yasser Al Shahrani and Salim Adams scored in each half to ensure the Sudan team take the advantage back to Kigali where the return leg will be played next weekend.
Another Sudan side Al Merrikh SC also defeated Power Dynamos FC (Zambia) 1-0 in the first leg played on Saturday at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda. Bashir Bangoura converted a penalty after 39 minutes for the only goal of the match.
In other matches played on Saturday, South Sudan Premier League reigning champions El Merriekh SC Bentiu defeated Heegan FC (Somalia) 1-0 wit Tot Maet scoring the lone goal.
Ethiopia’s Sidama Bunna FC collected an away goalless draw away to Aigions FC N’Djamena of Chad, while Uganda’s Vipers SC were held to a 1-1 draw by FC Nouadhibou (Mauritania). Tanzania Premier League giants Young Africans SC also picked a 1-1 draw away to Gaborone United in Botswana.
On Friday Zanzibar’s KVZ FC suffered a 1-0 defeat away to Al Swehly SC in Libya, while AS Du Port from Djibouti also lost 2-1 to Zamalek in a match played in Cairo.
Action continues on Sunday with Kenya’s Gor Mahia FC hosting Pyramids FC (Egypt), while Tanzania’s Simba SC also play away to Mighty Wanderers FC in Malawi.
Collected CAF Champions League results for CECAFA teams
Al Swehly 1 KVZ FC 0
AS Du Port 1 Zamalek 2
Aigle Noir 0 Al Hilal SC 2
El Merreikh SC Bentiu 1 Heegan FC 0
Vipers SC 1 FC Nouadhibou 1
Al Merriekh SC 1 Power Dynamos 0
Aigions FC N’Djamena 0 Sidama Bunna FC 0
Gaborone United 1 Young Africans 1
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