Guest side Kenya have picked their second win in the on-going Hollywoodsbets COSAFA Cup 2024 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

Austin Odhiambo and Benson Omalla netted second half goals to ensure Kenya’s Emerging Stars defeated Zimbabwe 2-0 in the Group B match.

Kenya kick started their campaign with a 2-0 win against defending champions Zambia, but suffered a similar 2-0 defeat to Comoros in their second match.

While Comoros have qualified for the semi-final stage after beating Zambia 1-0 in a match played on Tuesday and topping the group, the Kenya Emerging Stars will keep their fingers crossed ahead of tomorrow’s Group C matches, so that they can finish as best runners-up.

Mozambique who topped Group A have also qualified for the semi-finals, while Angola and Namibia each have four points ahead of their last Group C matches on Wednesday.

The tournament that has attracted 12 teams and organized by the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) will climax with the final on July 7^th, 2024.

Kenya Premier League champions Gor Mahia FC will have a new coach lead them at the regional CECAFA Kagame Cup 2024 slated for July 9-21st in Dar es salaam, Tanzania.

Gor Mahia announced the signing of a new coach Leonardo Martins Neiva on Monday. The experienced coach takes over from Johnathan McKinstry who recently joined Gambia as the national head coach.

The Brazilian who will have the first task of leading the team at the CECAFA Kagame Cup is not new to the African setting after handing SC Vipers (Uganda), Young Africans SC (Tanzania), Al-Merriekh (Sudan) and South Africa’s Platinum Stars Youth side. He has also coached teams in Brazil, Mynmar, Jamaica and Thailand.

Neiva will be assisted by our former player and coach Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno and Michael Nam as they lead Gor Mahia as they attempt to win their fourth CECAFA Kagame Cup trophy.

Top teams from the CECAFA Zone will also use the regional tournament to prepare ahead of the start of the 2024/2025 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and the TotalEnergies Confederation Cup.

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 Harambee Stars of Kenya have defeated Zambia 2-0 in their opening Group B match of the on-going Hollywoodbets COSAFA Cup 2024.

Austine Odhiambo and Patrick Otieno netted two first half goals at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

After eight minutes Odhiambo gave Kenya the lead from the spot, while Otieno made it 2-0 midway the first half.

After recess, the defending champions came back determined and dominated possession, but failed to break the Kenyan team made up of mostly U-23 players.

Harambee Stars went top of Group B after the second match saw Zimbabwe beat Comoros 1-0.

Kenya, the only guest side in the competition who took up the place of Malawi who withdrew few days to the tournament will now return to action on June 30^th against Comoros, and complete the Group B match against Zimbabwe on July 2^nd.

The best team from each of the three Groups and the best second placed team from any Group will qualify for the semi-final stage. The COSAFA Cup 2024 has attracted 12 teams.