Tanzania to host CECAFA Kagame Cup

Tanzania will host this year’s CECAFA Kagame Cup from July 11-August 2 in Dar es Salaam, according to a press statement released by the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF).

Saturday, May 16, 2015
APR midfielder Andrew Buteera tries to sheild the ball from an Elemelik player in the final of the Cecafa Cup which the sudanese team won 1-0. (File)

Tanzania will host this year’s CECAFA Kagame Cup from July 11-August 2 in Dar es Salaam, according to a press statement released by the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF).

The statement reads that, "The Tanzania Football Federation has accepted to be the host of the East and Central Africa club championship, popularly known as CECAFA Kagame Cup.”

"CECAFA will send invitations to clubs that have the qualifications to feature in the tournament and after receiving their confirmation that they will take part, they will release the list of clubs and fixtures for the championship,” added the statement.

The 2014 Vodacom Premier League champions Azam and runners-up Young Africans (Yanga) will represent Tanzania Mainland while KMKM will represent Zanzibar.

CECAFA Kagame Cup reigning champions Al Hilal who won the 2014 league title will represent Sudan while last year’s finalists APR will represent Rwanda having won the league title last season.

KCCA (Uganda), Gor Mahia (Kenya), LLB Academie (Burundi), Al-Malaika (South Sudan) and Saint George (Ethiopia) are also expected to compete courtesy of being league champions in their respective countries last season.

The last time the Kagame Cup was hosted in Dar es Salaam was in 2012 when Yanga defended their title clinching it for a fifth time after seeing off local rivals Azam 2-0 in an entertaining final that saw Amavubi captain Haruna Niyonzima play a key role in the victory.

APR are the most successful Rwandan outfit at the regional showpiece, having won the title thrice including 2004, 2007 and 2010 all hosted in Kigali.

However, the army side has lost in the final for the past two consecutive years, losing 2-0 to Burundi’s Vital’O in 2013 in Sudan and succumbing 1-0 to Sudanese giants El Merreikh last August at Amahoro stadium.