Three teams from the CECAFA Zone have all suffered defeats in their respective first leg encounters of the second round in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2025 qualifiers.

Tanzania’s Serengeti Girls suffered a 3-0 home defeat to Zambia in a match played at the Azam Complex Stadium in Chamazi on Sunday.

After a goalless first half, Zambia’s Copper Princesses scored through Grace Phiri and a brace by Mercy Chipasula.

On Saturday Edinah Nasipwondi and Joan Ogola scored to ensure Kenya Junior Starlets picked a vital away win against Uganda in a match played at the Hamz Stadium, Nakivubo.

The match was also graced by former Senegal and Liverpool top striker El Haji Diouf.

Away in Cameroon the Ethiopian team suffered a 5-2 defeat. Later tonight Burundi will play away to Ivory Coast at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan.

The final round for the CECAFA teams in the qualifiers will see the winner between Kenya and Uganda face the winner between Cameroon and Ethiopia.

The winner between Tanzania and Zambia will take on the winner between Benin and DR Congo, while the winner between Ivory Coast and Burundi takes on the winner between Sierra Leone and Guinea.

The 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup will take place in Morocco. Africa will be represented by five teams at the tournament.

The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has today unveiled Benni McCarthy as the new national team head coach.

The unveiling of the new coach attended by several officials from FKF, government, sponsors and legends took place this afternoon at the Serena Hotel in Nairobi.

McCarthy who signed a two-year contract will work alongside fellow South Africans Vasilli Manausakis (Assistant coach), Moeneeb Josephs (goalkeepers coach) and Pilela Maposa (Performance Analyst) takes over from Francis Kimanzi who has been the Harambee Stars coach on an interim basis.

The new coach will go straight to work with his first games in charge being in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers against Gabon and Gambia this month.

“I am delighted to be here and can’t wait to get started to make Kenya one of the best Football teams,” said the former Bafana Bafana striker who was also joint top scorer at the 1998 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with Egypt’s Hossam Hassan.

He also made it clear that he wants to take all the experience he has garnered working in Europe and in South Africa and put it into practice to make the Kenyan team very competitive and strong. “With the right leaders, right coaches and right work ethics I don’t think that there is anything that can stop us from succeeding with the Kenyan national team,” added McCarthy.

Hussein Mohammed, the FKF President said although many coaches applied for the job, they picked on McCarthy because he has the exposure in Europe and Africa and has the fire in the belly, and the passion that Kenya needs.

“Given his exposure and of course with all the support from the stakeholders, McCarthy will take the Kenyan team far,” added the FKF President who was flanked by his Vice President McDonald Mariga.

McCarthy who won the UEFA Champions League with Porto in 2004 as a player has managed South African sides Cape Town City and AmaZulu FC. He served as an assistant coach at Sint Truiden in Belgium, and was first-team coach in-charge of strikers at Manchester United under Dutch manager Erik Ten Hag.

Experienced tactician Adel Amrouche has been appointed head coach of the Rwanda national team, Amavubi.

The Rwanda Football body, FERWAFA made the announcement on Sunday.

The Algerian-Belgian who guided Tanzania to the 2023 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is expected to start work with Amavubi immediately.

He is expected to be in-charge when Rwanda hosts Nigeria in a FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier in Kigali.

Amrouche who also holds a UEFA trainer-licence takes over from German tactician Torsten Spittler Frank whose contract was not renewed late last year.

He will be assisted by Rwanda’s former skipper Eric Nshimiyimana and Dr Carolin Braun as the second assistant coach.

The 56-year old Amrouche has handled other African team like; Burundi, Botswana, Libya and Kenya. He has also handled the Yemen national team before, and other Premier League teams in Africa and in Belgium.

Mukura Victory Sport have stunned reigning Rwanda Premier League champions APR FC 1-0 in a match played on Sunday at Amahoro Stadium.

Destin Malanda netted the lone goal after 19 minutes to silence the APR fans at the Stadium.

Recently signed Ugandan players Hakim Kiwanuka and Denis Omedi all started the match for APR FC, but the Mukura Victory Sport team employed a highly defensive approach. APR FC recently lifted Heroes Cup 2025.

After 18 matches played, the army side is placed second with 37 points, while Rayon Sports who were held to a 1-1 draw by Amagaju on Saturday are top with 41 points.

Mukura Victory Sport are placed sixth on the 16-team log with 27points, behind Police FC who have a point more.