NEWS
Ethiopia to host 2021 CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup
The Ethiopia Football Federation (EFF) has accepted to host the 2021 CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup.
Members of the Council of East and Central African Football Associations (CECAFA) made the decision during a meeting held at the Sofitel Hotel in Rabat, Morocco on Thursday ahead of the General Assembly of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) taking place today.
“We deliberated well and members decided we have five tournaments taking place through the year,” CECAFA Executive Director Auka Gaceho confirmed.
While Ethiopia will host the Men’s Challenge Cup which will be an U-23 competition this time round, Djibouti will host the CECAFA Senior Women’s Challenge and Tanzania will stage the CECAFA Kagame Club Championship. Uganda will host the U-20 Women’s Challenge Cup and Kenya CAF Women’s Champions League Zonal Competition.
It was confirmed that Somalia will not participate in the Women’s Champions League qualifier, while all other member Associations other than Rwanda and Eritrea confirmed their participation
The meeting also resolved that all Club and Senior competitions will be staged between June and August when the Leagues are on a break. The Age grade competitions will be staged during School breaks.
“We are optimistic the region will have very successful tournaments during the year,” added Gacheo. The meeting was also attended by CECAFA President Wallace Karia and his Board members.
Because of the challenges of COVID-19, the region only held two tournaments last year, the U-20 Afcon and U-17 Afcon qualifiers in Tanzania and Rwanda respectively.
Hosts for 2021 tournaments
CECAFA U- 20 women’s Challenge Cup – Uganda
CECAFA Senior Women’s Challenge – Djibouti
CECAFA Kagame Club Championship – Tanzania CECAFA
CECAFA Men’s Challenge Cup –Ethiopia
CECAFA/CAF Women’s Champions League Zonal Competition – Kenya
Uganda Cranes attacking midfielder Allan Okello has completed a move to Morocco’s Premier League – Botola Pro side, AS FAR Rabat.
The 26-year old was unveiled by the Club on Friday. He joins the Moroccan side on a three year deal.
“I am very excited to join a big team like AS FAR. I promise to do my best to help the team to win titles,” added Okello.
Okello moves from Tanzania Premier League side Young Africans SC who he only joined late last year.
The midfielder delivered a commendable performance netting 14 goals and 8 assists in the seven months he spent with the Tanzanian Champions.
Before joining Young Africans SC, Okello also helped Vipers SC win a double in the 2024/2025 season.
Okello returns to North Africa having featured for Algeria’s Premier League side between 2020-2023.
In Uganda Okello made his breakthrough in School Football before joining Premier League side KCCA FC who he helped reach the group stage of the 2028/2029 CAF Champions League.
The attacking midfielder is also remembered for missing a penalty in a crucial group match against Tanzania at the 2025 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.
Gaadiidka FC are the 2025/2026 Somali Premier League champions.
In a deciding match played at the Mogadishu Stadium on Friday, Gaadiidka FC secured a goalless draw against third placed Dekedaha FC to finish top.
The draw saw Gaadiidka FC finish with 51 points, while Heegan FC came second with 50 points. The 2024/2025 winners Mogadishu City FC finished in 4th place with 42 points.
It is the second time Gaadiidka FC win the Somali Premier League after they first secured it in the 2021/2022 season.
Jubba FC and Gantaalaha FC that finished 12th and 11th respectively have been relegated to the lower Division.
Sudan’s Al Hilal SC have been drawn against Burundi Premier League champions Aigle Noir CS in the first preliminary round of the 2026/2027 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
The draw was conducted on Friday in Cairo, Egypt.
The 2025/2026 quarter finalists Al Hilal SC will play the first leg in Burundi between September 4-6th, and later hosts their return leg in Kigali between September 11-13th.
Incase they go past the first hurdle, Sudan’s Al Hilal SC will then face the winner between Aigloms FC N’Djamena (Chad) and Sidaama Buna FC (Ethiopia).
“The CECAFA Kagame Cup has given us good preparations ahead of the CAF Champions League,” says Al Hilal SC head coach Guy Bukasa Misakabu.
South Sudan Premier League champions El Merriekh SC Bentiu will also make a return to the competition when they face Heegan SC (Somalia), while Gor Mahia FC (Kenya) take on Pyramids FC (Egypt) in the first preliminary round.
Uganda’s Vipers SC will take on Mauritania’s giants FC Nouadhibou, APR FC (Rwanda) face Les Aigles Du Congo, while Young Africans SC (tanzania) play Botswana’s Gaborone Utd FC.
The three highest-ranked clubs earned a bye through the first preliminary round: South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, Esperance and Renaissance Berkane.
The second preliminary round follows a similar pattern. First legs fall between 16 and 18 October, and the return matches take place from the 23rd to the 25th.
Fresh from taking part in the CECAFA Kagame Cup, Mogadishu City Club FC will face Kitara FC (Uganda) in the first preliminary round of the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup.
The two teams were drawn together during the official draw conducted by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Thursday in Cairo, Egypt.
Mogadishu City Club who will host their matches in Nairobi, Kenya will play the first leg at home before traveling to Uganda. The first leg matches will take place September 4-6th, while the return legs are slated for September 11-13th.
The winner between the Ugandan team and Mogadishu City Club will face African giants Al Ahly SC in the second preliminary in October.
Sudan’s Al Hilal Alsahii and Walwalo Adigrat USC (Ethiopia) will also face off, with the winner facing the winner between KMKM SC (Zanzibar) and Al Ahly Tripoli in the second preliminary round.
Tanzania Premier League side who were exempted from the first preliminary round will face the winner between ZED FC (Egypt) and ASAS Djibouti Tel.
Rwanda’s Rayon Sport FC who are in the CECAFA Kagame Cup final on Friday will tussle it out with Pathere Sportive FC in the first round, while Burundi’s Rukinzo FC take on Durban City FC (South Africa) in the first preliminary round.
Two other matches involving teams from the CECAFA Zone will see Al Ahli Madani (Sudan) face Tusker FC (Kenya), while South Sudan’s Al-Ghazala SC battle Singida Black Stars FC (Tanzania).
The Second Preliminary Round will begin from October 16-18, before the decisive return legs are staged from October 23-25.
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