NEWS
Prime Minister announces Ethiopia’s interest in bidding to host AFCON 2029
The Prime Minister of Ethiopia has announced that the country is interested in bidding to host the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2029.
While speaking to the media in Addis Ababa, the Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said they have what it takes to return the AFCON to Ethiopia. He emphasized that they only need to add a few more stadiums to be able to host the AFCON.
He said this at the climax of the Shenen Africa Fashion Festival Week which ended in Addis Ababa on Sunday. Former Nigerian international players Nwankwo Kanu and Daniel Amokachi, together with actors, social media influencers, designers, models, technology experts, business people and diplomats among others also attended the Festival.
In April this year the Ethiopian Minister of Culture and Sports, Kejela Merdasa also made it public about their ambitious plans to prepare the country to be able to bid and host either the AFCON 2029 or AFCON 2031. for this significant event, emphasizing the need for at least six standard stadiums to ensure its success.
Merdasa says although Ethiopia currently lacks stadiums that meet CAF’s requirements, forcing the national team to play its matches abroad, they are working on building more stadiums and renovating others that are already available.
Ethiopia has hosted the AFCON before in 1962, 1968 and 1976. Sudan hosted the first edition in 1957 and again in 1970.
Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania won the bid to host the AFCON 2027 which will mark the return of Africa’s biggest Football showpiece to the CECAFA Zone after so many years.
The draw for the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) U-17 Women’s Championship 2026 will take place on May 21st, 2026 in Kampala, Uganda.
Yusuf Mossi, the CECAFA Competitions Manager confirmed that the draw will be conducted at 11.30am (East African time) at the FUFA TV headquarters in Mengo.
The tournament which will attract seven teams will take place June 13-23 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
“We shall hve seven teams being drawn and placed in two groups. We are appy that for the first time Somalia and Sudan will also send Women’s teams for this Championship,” added Mossi.
The draw will be conducted the CECAFA’s Head of Marketing and Communication, Andrew Oryada.
The Championship will also help teams from our Zone that would have qualified for the last stage of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers prepare better.
The seven teams to be drawn include
Tanzania
Kenya
Uganda
Djibouti
Rwanda
Somalia
Sudan
Vipers Sports Club are champions of the 2025/2026 StarTimes Uganda Premier League.
The Kitende based side defeated Maroons FC 3-0 in a match played at the Wankulukuku Stadium on Tuesday to clinch their eighth Premier League title.
Veteran Yunus Sentamu gave Vipers SC the lead, before Usama Arafat and Karim Watambala added to more goals to ensure Vipers SC clinched the title with one more match to be played.
The win and a goalless draw by closest challengers KCCA FC against URA FC ensured Vipers bagged yet another trophy as they now have 64 points from 29 matches.
In the other matches played on Tuesday army side UPDF settled for a goalless draw against Calvary FC, while Police FC and Entebbe UPPC also drew 1-1, Bidco FC and Kitara FC drew 1-1, while Express FC and Lugazi FC also ended 0-0
Vipers SC handled by Belgian Van Jacky Minnaert will now represent Uganda in the 2025/2026 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
CECAFA teams Sudan and Ethiopia have been placed in Group J 2027 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) PAMOJA qualifiers.
In the draw conducted at the Egyptian Football Association headquarters in Cairo, Egypt on Tuesday, the two CECAFA teams were placed alongside Senegal and Mozambique.
The draw was conducted by former African football stars Max-Alain Gradel (Cote d’Ivoire), William Troost-Ekong (Nigeria), Essam El Hadary (Egypt) and Trésor Mputu (DR Congo).
Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania will co-host the tournament from June 19 June to July 17, 2027. Co-hosts will take part in qualifiers but have secured their places as co-hosts, so one team from their pool will join them.
The first matches of the group qualifiers will kick-off in September, 2026.
Group D also has two CECAFA teams Kenya and Eritrea together with South Africa and Guinea. Somalia who are making a return to the group stage of the qualifiers after several years are placed alongside Ivory Coast, Ghana and The Gambia.
The 48 teams that will play in the qualifiers have been placed into 12 groups, with the top two in each pool advancing to the continental finals.
The national team of Kenya will play two International friendly matches against Kyrgyzstan and Palestine next month.
Under the watchful eyes of head coach Benni McCarthy, the Harambee Stars will line up against Palestine on June 3rd, and three days later face hosts Kyrgyzstan.
The two matches will be played during the June FIFA international window.
The technical bench of the team has today named the squad including five new call-ups; Deon Woodman (Wealdstone FC), Sammy Hena-Kamau (Hull City), Micah Obiero (Wealdstone FC), Sydney Agina (Stoke City) and goalkeeper Caleb Kramer (ADO Den Haag).
Although they are automatic qualifiers as co-hosts of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027, Kenya will also play in the qualifiers that kick-off in September 2026.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Byrne Omondi, Faruk Shikhalo, Caleb Kramer
Defenders: Erick Ouma, Stanley Wilson, Sylvester Owino, Frank Odhiambo, Alphonce Omija, Deon Woodman, Rooney Onyango, Sydney Agina
Midfielders: Richard Odada, Chris Erambo, Clarke Odour, Will Lenkupae, Austine Odhiambo, Zech Obiero
Attackers: Job Ochieng, Mohammed Bajaber, Ben Stanley, Sammy Hena-Kamau, Micah Obiero, Ryan Ogam, Lawrence Okoth
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