Cecafa Nile Basin Cup

May 22

Etincelles vs. Hey Al Arab

May 24

Etincelles vs. Flambeau

May 26

Etincelles vs. Arab Contractors

STRUGGLING Etincelles have been drawn in a tough Group D of the inaugural Cecafa Nile Basin Cup. 

Sixteen teams have confirmed participation in the tournament which will run from May 22 to June 4 in Sudan. 

The Rubavu-based club which finished tenth last season with 23 points will take on host club Hey Al Arab (Sudan), three-time winners of the Africa Cup Winners Cup Arab Contractors (Egypt) and Burundi’s Flambeau de l’est. 

Group A is comprised of continental champions Al-Merreikh, Victoria University (Uganda), Malakia (Southern Sudan) and Police (Zanzibar). 

Kenya’s GOtv Shield winners AFC Leopards are in Group B alongside host club Merreikh Al-Fasher, Tanzania’s Mbeya City and Elman from Somalia. 

Group C is made up of Al-Ahli Shandi (Sudan), twice semi-finalists in the Caf Cup Winners Cup and Caf Confed Cup Al Masry (Egypt), Defence (Ethiopia) and Dkhill FC (Djibouti). 

Cecafa Secretary General Nicholas Musonye told Times Sport yesterday that the tournament will take place in three cities; Khartoum, Port Sudan and Shandy with only Eritrea failing to send a representative from the 12 regional affiliates. 

"We are looking forward to have a good competition and our intention is to organise many competitions to give our teams strength to compete with the rest in Africa. 

"This is our mini Cup of Nations and we expect to have a competitive tournament at the end of the day since it’s our first event before we break for the World Cup and come back for the Club Championship,” Musonye said. 

The winner will take home $30,000, runner up will pocket $20,000 and third place team will take $10,000. 

The Sudan Football Federation with help of the Sudanese government have paid for the tickets for each team and full board accommodation in the local hotels. 

Nile Basin Draw

Group A: Al-Merreikh (Sudan), Victoria University (Uganda), Malakia (Southern Sudan), Police (Zanzibar) 

Group B: Merreikh Al-Fasher, AFC Leopards (Kenya), Mbeya City (Tanzania), Elman (Somalia) 

Group C: Al-Ahli Shandi (Sudan), Al Masry (Egypt), Defence (Ethiopia), Dkhill FC (Djibouti) 

Group D: Hey Al Arab (Sudan), Arab Contractors (Egypt), Flambeau EST (Burundi) and Etincelles (Rwanda)