NEWS
CECAFA U-23 Challenge Cup: Uganda battle guest side DR Congo
July 18th Fixture
Uganda v DR Congo – 1300hrs
Djibouti v Kenya – 1600hrs
Uganda will face a tough test against guest side DR Congo when the CECAFA U-23 Challenge Cup enters Day 2 at the Bahir Dar International Stadium in Ethiopia.
Coach Morley Byekwaso who led Uganda to a second place finish at the AFCON U-20 this year says every game in this tournament will be treated with a lot of caution.
“We do not know a lot about our first opponents DR Congo, but we are well prepared for our first match because we know it means a lot in a tournament,” said Byekwaso.
Uganda’s team was lucky to play two international friendly matches away against Saudi Arabia’s Tokyo Olympic bound team. Byekwaso’s side managed to pick a goalless draw in the first game, but lost 2-0 in the second match.
Byekwaso says the two friendly games in Saudi Arabia have helped them improve a number of aspects on the team especially in scoring and defending.
After Uganda face DR Congo in a Pool A match, Djibouti will battle Kenya in the second game of the day.
Stanley Okumbi, the head coach of Kenya’s Emerging Stars his players have prepared well and are ready to give a good display against Djibouti. “We need to treat every game like a final,” said Okumbi.
Meanwhile, Auka Gecheo, the Executive Director of the Council of East and Central Africa Football Association (CECAFA) has said they are closing out fans from watching the matches in the Stadium. “We initially allowed 25,000 fans to watch each game, but after fans failed to observe SOPs and social distance, we have decided we have the matches played minus fans,” added Gecheo.
The national team of Sudan defeated Tanzania 2-1 in an international friendly match played last evening in Saudi Arabia.
Aldhayib Abdirizak gave the Sudan team the lead after 11 minutes at the King Fahad Stadium. Issa Vitalis made it 2-0 for Sudan after 27 minutes.
But after the break, the youthful Tanzanian side led by Belgian based professional Kelvin John pushed forward in search of goals. Ahmad Ibrahim Ahmada Hilika pulled out back for Taifa Stars after 80 minutes.
Kwasi Appiah, the Sudan head coach said that he was happy with the opportunity to have the friendly match to help him test the players.
Taifa Stars acting coach Hemed Morocco said his players made some mistakes early in the game, but improved later after recess. The two teams will face-off again o Saturday in another friendly match.
The two teams are using the friendly matches to prepare ahead of the matches next month for the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers. Sudan are placed second in Group B with 4 points, while Tanzania are fourth in Group E with three points in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers.
The CECAFA Kagame Cup 2024 will take place in Tanzania.
The regional tournament organised under the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) will take place from July 20th to 4th August, 2024.
John Auka Gecheo, the CECAFA Executive Director has confirmed that some guest sides will take part in the tournament which will return this year after it was last held in 2021.
“We are glad that this tournament will be returning after two years to provide a brilliant preseason platform for the teams to prepare better before the start of the 2024/2025 CAF Champions League, CAF Confederations Cup and the different Leagues back home,” dded Gecheo.
He explained that besides the respective Premier League champions from the 12 Members Associations including Zanzibar, CECAFA will also invite some other teams to spice up the tournament.
Uganda’s Express FC beat guest side Nyasa Big Bullets from Malawi 1-0 in the final when the tournament was last held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in 2021. Tanzania’s Simba SC have lifted the CECAFA Kagame Cup a record six times, while Young Africans SC (Tanzania) and Tusker FC (Kenya) five times each. The teams that have lifted the title three times each include; APR FC (Rwanda), Al Merriekh (Sudan), SC Villa (Uganda) and Kenya’s Gor Mahia FC.
Young Africans SC have retained the Tanzania Premier League title.
Coach Miguel Gamondi’s team brushed a side Mtibwa FC 3-1 in a League match played on Monday at the Manungu Complex in Morogoro to claim the 2023/2024 title.
Charles Ilanfya gave the home side a 1-0 first half lead, but Young Africans SC fought back after recess to score three.
Goals by Kennedy Musonda, an own goal by Nasry Kombo and Clement Nzie were enough to see Young Africans SC collect vital three points.
The win sent Young Africans SC to 71 points with three more matches to play, while Azam FC are second on 60 points and Simba SC third with 57 points.
” I want to thank the players for the hard work. Playing against Mtibwa FC was not an easy match, but am glad the players worked hard and won. It has been a very busy season of hard work and am grateful to the players and management, ” said Gamondi.
The Argentine made it clear that Young Africans SC has what it takes to win several titles and now they will complete the League and other tournaments locally before starting to plan well for next season.
Gamondi also guided Young Africans SC to the quarter final stage of the 2023/2024 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League where they lost 3-2 in penalties to Mamelodi Sundowns FC of South Africa.
Taifa Stars defender Novatus Dismas Miroshi has helped FC Shakhtar Donetsk win the 2023/2024 Ukrainian Premier League title.
Shakhtar Donetsk won the title after seeing off arch-rivals, Dynamo Kyiv, winning 1-0 in a League match played last Saturday.
The win sent Shakhtar Donetsk top with 70 points with two matches to yet to be played, while Dynamo Kyiv have 63 points. Shakhtar Donetsk will now represent Ukraine in the UEFA Champions League 2024/2025 qualification.
The young Miroshi has been with Shakhtar Donetsk after moving on loan from the Belgian Zulte Waregem in the summer.
Miroshi who has lately been a main player for the Taifa Stars also featured for the national team at the TotalEnergies Caf Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) held in Cote d’Ivoire early this year.
Apart from Miroshi, FC Shakhtar Donetsk also boost of another African player Lassina Traore from Burkina Faso.
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