The Council for East and Central African Football Association (Cecafa) has dismissed as ‘baseless’ reports being made by one member state that the regional body is divided into warring camps.

The body’s Secretary General while talking to Times Sport on Monday denied anything like internal infighting among member states as some people were quoted saying recently.

"There is no such thing as in-fighting and if it is there, then we must fight against it before it breaks down football standards,” Nicholas Musonye said.

Cecafa presidential elections are set for December but until to date, no one has shown interest in running for the office, however, Musonye highlighted that the lack of nominees has nothing to do with the internal strife people are talking about.

Dr Kamal Sheddad, the president of Sudan Football Association (SFA) was quoted in the country’s local media on Monday expressing his desire to contest for the seat but noted that the ‘infighting within member countries and cliques’ have made him lose appetite for the post.

He mentioned Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi as being on one side whish he stated is against other member states including Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Somalia and his own Sudan.

Sheddad, who lost to Rwanda’s Celestine Musabyimana for a seat on the Caf Executive Committee, said that the infighting has made the region lag behind on the continent against other regions. 

He urged that that if member states united and reached a consensus, then he would jump at the opportunity of leading the regional body.

The race to succeed Denis Obua as president of Cecafa seems to take twist after another and if Sheddad’s comments prove to be true, football lovers in the region should have a very reason to worry.

The deadline to submit forms for candidates vying for the post is today, October 31 but no one has come up to show interest to succeed Obua, the former chief of the Federation of Uganda Football Association whose term of office expires in December.

Ferwafa boss, Brig. Gen. John Bosco Kazura has consistently ruled himself out of the running for the post as he prefers to concentrate on stabilizing things at home.

Tanzania Federation Federation president Leodegar Tenga has been quite about taking up the post while Lawrence Mulindwa of Uganda has also indicated that he would not stand. However, sources within the Cecafa secretariat have revealed that Tanzania’s Tenga, Lydia Nsekera of Burundi and Ashebir Georgis of Ethiopia could contest for the post. 


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