CECAFA Kagame Cup starts in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania today (Friday) with three matches to quench your thirst as the World Cup takes a break ahead of the round of 16 matches.
The competition is making a comeback since the 2015 edition that was also hosted Dar.
Azam FC, who are the defending champions and one of the three host teams, will take on South Sudan’s Kator FC in the pivotal match of the day at Chamazi Complex.
In the other two matches, JKU of Zanzibar will take on Uganda champions Vipers in the tournament’s curtain raiser also at Chamazi before late entrants Singinda United of Tanzania and APR of Rwanda clash in the final game of the day at National Stadium.
Singida and APR replaced St. George of Ethiopia and Tanzania’s Yanga SC who pulled out of the tournament for various reasons.
Two venues in the capital namely Azam FC’s Chamazi Complex and National Stadium will stage the 41st edition of the 44-year-old championship.
All the 12 participating teams except Kenya’s representatives Gor Mahia had arrived by Thursday ready to do battle for the regional honors.
Gor will play a league match against Sony Sugar in Kisumu today before flying tonight to Dar.
Early there were reports that K’Ogalo would not show up following players’ revolt over unpaid allowances but all was sorted at the 2015 runners-up.
Tanzanian pay TV Company Azam TV will be the tournament’s broadcast partner, while Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame the title sponsor.
CECAFA Secretary General Nicholas Musonye called on other sponsors to come on board while urging fans to embrace the competition as they are the major sponsors.
The Kenyan assured that the matches will not clash with the schedule of the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Russia. He blamed CECAFA leaders for undermining the competition.
“Leaders from the CECAFA region are the ones undermining the tournament by starting their own tournaments,” Musonye said.
Friday Fixtures;
JKU vs Vipers – 2PM, Chamazi Complex
Azam FC vs Kator FC – 4PM, Chamazi Complex
Singida United vs APR – 7PM, National Stadium
