NEWS
CECAFA U-23 Challenge Cup: What the coaches say after the group stage
The CECAFA U-23 Challenge Cup group stage climaxed on July 24th with nine matches played in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. The coaches had this to say.
Kim Poulsen (Head Coach, Tanzania)
We are very happy to qualify for the semi finals because our preparations were close to zero since the Tanzania Premier League has just ended. We were also in a very tough group and we surely battled strongly to make it to the next stage.
I think Uganda also deserved to be in the semi final because they play well. We shall not underrate our opponents South Sudan who we face in the semi final. We shall have to approach the semi final match very differently.
Morley Byekwaso (Head Coach, Uganda)
I thank the boys because for the fighting spirit they have showed in the two matches. We created several scoring chances in this tournament, but did not use them well. But it’s a good experience for my young team as we still have two more classification matches.
We need to prepare our teams for the future and this tournament is good to try out players.
Julien Mette (Head Coach, Djibouti)
Ofcourse it is not good to see us failing to win or even score a single goal. But I am happy that the young players have got more exposure from the two matches we played against Kenya and South Sudan. It is from such matches that players get more experience and can be able to improve.
Simon James Yor (Head Coach, South Sudan)
Qualifying for the semi final is very good for my players because it means they have more competitive matches to play and this will help them to develop and become better players. We know the Tanzanian team that we face in the semi final is strong, but we shall prepare well for them.
Wubetu Abate Wubetu (head Coach, Ethiopia)
I am not happy with the way my players played the two group games where we picked draws. We need to improve as a team to take our chances and always shoot at goal instead of holding onto the ball and lack that final finish. But the tournament is good for testing and improving our young players.
Jimmy Ndayizeye (Head Coach, Burundi)
I am impressed with the concentration of my players and we hope they can keep focused for the game against Kenya. We have brought some of our young players from Europe to be tested in this tournament and am happy with the progress. Facing Kenya will not be easy because they have showed they are strong by winning their two games in the pool.
Jean Claude Loboko (Head Coach, DR Congo)
Although we failed to qualify for the semi finals, we are happy that the young players are getting the much needed experience from this tournament. Yes we have been good at creating many scoring chances, but finishing remains our problem.
Stanley Khayo Okumbi (Head Coach, Kenya)
Five goals and two wins makes us happy as the technical bench. But we need to tune out minds and prepare well ahead of the tough match against Burundi. Although we have won all our two games in the group stage, I believe we still have to improve on some aspects.
Yohannes Tesfay Giday (Assistant Coach, Eritrea)
Although we failed to win a single game in the group stage, this has been a good outing for the players. We shall try to field players who have not got a lot of playing time in the remaining two classification matches.
The CECAFA Zone will be represented by one match official Stephen Yiembe at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.
Yiembe, from Kenya will be one of the assistant referees together with 116 other match officials who will to officiate at the inaugural competition slated for June 14 to July 13th in the United States of America.
FIFA has selected 35 referees, 58 assistant referees and 24 VAR officials from around the world to officiate at the competition which will bring together the top teams in the world including Real Madrid and Manchester City among others.
The other African referees selected include; Ghorbal Mustapha (Algeria), Ibrahim Mutaz (Libya) and Sy Issa (Senegal). The assistant referees include; Bangoura Nouha (Senegal), Camara Djibril (Senegal), Gourari Mokrane (Algeria) and Zerhouni Abbes Akram (Algeria), while the only VAR official is Ashour Mahmoud from Egypt.
Yiembe has also officiated several top matches including at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, the 2023 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in the Ivory Coast, and the 2023 TotalEnergies U-23 CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The competition to attract 32 teams will be played across 11 cities. Africa will be represented by Al Ahly (Egypt), Wydad AC (Morocco), Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia) and South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns.
African Schools Football Championship
Day 2: CECAFA teams qualify for semi-final stage at CAF African Schools Football Championship
All representative teams from the CECAFA Zone have qualified for the semi-final stage at the on-going 2025 CAF African Schools Football Championship in Ghana.
In the Girls category Uganda defeated The Gambia and DR Congo by a similar 3-0 score line in Group B matches played on Thursday.
Lillian Nabukeera netted a brace, while Grace Kawiino also got her name on the score sheet in Uganda’s win over The Gambia. Kawiino who also netted the lone goal in the 1-0 win against South Africa on Wednesday again made score she scored in the match against DR Congo. Brendah Nassaka and Lydia Namuseruka also scored.
In the Boys category Tanzania who started with a 1-1 draw against Senegal on Wednesday, returned to pick a goalless draw against Cote d’Ivoire in their first match on Thursday. Tanzania secured their semi-final berth after seeing off DR Congo 1-0 in their last Group A match.
Uganda who also kick started their campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Ghana on Wednesday came all out to beat Algeria 4-0 and silence South Africa 4-1 in the matches played on Thursday. Nabir Kajjumba and Henry Muhoozi scored a goal each in the two matches, while Livingstone Kulata and Pius Kabenge were also on target against Algeria. Ashraf Kyakuwa and Yasin Nsubuga netted the other goals in the win against DR Congo.
Tanzania will now face Group B table leaders Ghana at the semi-final stage, while Group A leaders Senegal face Uganda. All the semi final matches will be played on Friday.
The competition which breaks together teams U-15s which will climax on April 26th.
Day 2 results
Boys
Tanzania 0 Cote d’Ivoire 0
Senegal 3 DR Congo 0
Cote d’Ivoire 0- Senegal 0
Tanzania 1 DR Congo 0
Ghana 1 South Africa 0
Uganda 4 Algeria 0
South Africa 1 Uganda 4
Ghana 3 Algeria 0
Girls
South Africa 8 DR Congo 0
Uganda 3 The Gambia 0
South Africa 5 The Gambia 0
DR Congo 0 Uganda 3
Ghana 2 Benin 0
Morocco 1 Malawi 0
Benin 0 Morocco 1
Ghana 3 Malawi 0
The FIFA Council and CAF Executive Member, Souleiman Hassan Waberi has held talks with the President of the Republic of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud.
Waberi who arrived in Mogadishu on Monday for a 3-Day visit met the President on Tuesday together with the President of the Somali Football Federation (SFF), Ali Abdi Mohamed at the State House in Mogadishu, Villa.
He also held talks with members of the Somali Football body, Football Club Presidents, the Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre and the Mayor of Mogadishu, the Minister for Youth and Sport, and the National Olympic Committee of Somalia.
“We are very happy that Waberi took time off his busy schedule to come and visit Somalia,” said SFF President Ali Abdi Mohamed.
Waberi said he delivered messages of greeting and well wishes from the FIFA president Gianni Infantino and CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe to the President of Somalia and the Prime Minister to the football entity and to the entire people of Somalia” FIFA Council Member,
Waberi is also the President of the Djibouti Football body. He was elected a FIFA Council member during the CAF General Assembly held on March 12th, 2025 in Cairo, Egypt.
African Schools Football Championship
Day 1: Good start for Uganda Girls team in CAF African Schools Football Championship
Uganda’s Girls team have made a winning start in the 2025 CAF African Schools Football Championship ongoing at the University of Ghana Stadium, Legon in Accra, Ghana.
In their Group B match played Grace Kawiino netted the lone goal to ensure Uganda secured a 1-0 win against reigning champions South Africa.
The tough encounter saw the two sides create several scoring opportunities, but Uganda’s team held strong and tight to secure the three points to boost their chances of making it to the later stages of the competition.
The other Group A matches played saw Benin stop Malawi 1-0, while hosts Ghana also picked a 1-0 win against Morocco.
In at the Boys category reigning champions Tanzania settled for a 1-1 draw against Senegal in a Group B match. Ghana also defeated Uganda 2-0, while South Africa saw off Algeria 2-0 in Group A matches.
Action continues on Thursday CECAFA representatives from Uganda and Tanzania all in action to decide if they progress to the knock out round.
The competition for U-15s which ends on April 26th, 2025 has attracted eight teams for boys and a similar number.
The CAF African Schools Football Championship supported by the Motsepe Foundation had the first Edition held in South Africa in 2023, while the second Edition took centre stage last year in Zanzibar.
Boys
A: Ghana, Uganda, South Africa, Algeria
B: Tanzania, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, DR Congo
Girls
A: Ghana, Morocco, Benin, Malawi
B: South Africa, Uganda, DR Congo, The Gambia
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