Garde Républicaine goalkeeper Liban Mohamed has issued a warning to his side's Group A rivals ahead of their opening match against Vipers SC at the 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup on Friday.

The match will take place at Amahoro Stadium at 3pm.

The Egyptian side is drawn in Group A alongside Uganda's Vipers SC, hosts APR FC, and Kenya's Gor Mahia.

While acknowledging the quality of their opponents, Mohamed expressed confidence in his team's ability to compete.

Garde Républicaine finished third in the Djibouti Premier League last season, behind champions AS Ali Sabieh Djibouti Telecom.

Despite missing out on the league title, the club remains one of Djibouti's top sides, having won its first national championship in 2020 before lifting a second league crown in the 2022/23 season.

Head coach Sahal Ahmed admitted that preparations for the tournament were far from ideal, as most of his players had already gone on vacation before the club received confirmation of its participation.

With only two weeks to prepare, Ahmed acknowledged the challenge but believes his side has what it takes to compete and spring a surprise in what promises to be a highly competitive Group A.

All opening-day matches of the 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup will be played at Amahoro Stadium.

Friday's fixtures

Garde Républicaine vs Vipers SC — 3:00 p.m.

APR FC vs Gor Mahia — 7:00 p.m.