AFCON U-17 qualifiers
Somalia to open against South Sudan in U-17 AFCON Zonal qualifiers
The defending champions Somalia will kick start their campaign against South Sudan in opening match of the TotalEnergies U-17 Africa Cup of Nations – CECAFA qualifiers on Sunday.
It will a repeat of the 2022 final as the two sides face-off in a Group B encounter at the Nakivubo Hamz Stadium in Kampala.
After the withdraw of Ethiopia and Burundi, CECAFA organized a mini draw on Thursday which placed hosts Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya in Group A, while Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan are in Group B.
Yusuf Mossi, the CECAFA Competitions Director made it clear that with the tournament now running from December 15-27th, all matches will be played at the same venue in Kampala.
“The best two teams from each group will qualify for the semi- final stage, while the finalists will automatically qualify for the U-17 AFCON to be held next year,” added Mossi.
The second match on Day 1 will see hosts Uganda battle Tanzania in a Group A match that promises to be a thriller.
After two rest days action will return on December 18th with Tanzania facing Kenya, while South Sudan take on Sudan.
Auka Gecheo, the CECAFA Executive Director confirmed that all the teams had their players pass the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) tests. “We are glad all teams passed the mandatory MRI tests to check eligibility and now we are set for action,” added Gecheo.
The tournament has attracted Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan. The other Member Associations whose teams will not take part include; Djibouti, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi and Eritrea.