The return of the CECAFA Kagame Cup to Kigali after seven years made a strong impression, with Rwanda’s Rayon Sports lifting the trophy and ending a 28-year wait for the regional title. With Rwanda awarded hosting rights for the next two editions, Times Sport spoke to Andrew Jackson Oryada, CECAFA’s Head of Marketing and Communications, about the success of the 2026 tournament, plans to increase prize money and the future of regional competitions. How would you assess the 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup? The 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup in Kigali has been the best-ever—not just in terms of attendance, but also what was on the pitch, the organisation, atmosphere and basically everything surrounding it. We have had this tournament since 2002, and President Paul Kagame has supported it through the provision of a cash prize. This time, it was huge, and we thank the people of Rwanda for showing so much love for football. They supported not only the Rwandan team but all the teams that came for the tournament. I can assure you that even CAF was impressed because this was one of the highest attendances recorded at a tournament hosted by a regional football confederation in Africa. We thank the people of Rwanda, the Government and FERWAFA for putting everything together. It is not a surprise that the CAF Executive Committee approved Rwanda’s request to host the next two Kagame Cups. We believe the tournament will continue getting better. The cash prizes were $30,000 (approx. Rwf43 million) for the winner, $20,000 (Rwf29 million) for the runner-up and $10,000 (Rwf14.5 million) for third place. We thank the President (Kagame) for his continued support, but we are working hard to attract more sponsors. If more sponsors come on board, we are working towards increasing the cash prizes because football continues to grow every year. You cannot significantly raise cash prizes without generating more revenue, so it is important that we attract more sponsors. Are there sponsors you are currently in talks with? To attract sponsors, you need to enrich your product. A sponsor wants to see that the product is worth investing in. With what happened at the Kagame Cup and in other tournaments we are organising, our products are getting better and better. There are sponsors knocking on our door, and discussions are ongoing with different potential partners. I can assure you that, come next year, you will see many more sponsors partnering with CECAFA. Football is a big business and needs as many sponsors as possible. The media is also a major stakeholder because without it, a lot of what happens in football would not be known outside the stadiums. CECAFA has struggled to host some tournaments. Are things improving? Sometimes it is not only about money. It is also about who is ready to host. We normally come up with a programme, identify tournaments and open the bidding process. But if no member association submits a bid, that causes delays. Another challenge is stadiums. Some member associations do not have venues certified by CAF. Somalia, Djibouti and Eritrea, for example, do not have CAF-certified stadiums. That is why it has mostly been the same countries—Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia and now Rwanda—that host tournaments. Another challenge is the football calendar. The CECAFA Challenge Cup, for example, has not been held since 2019 because finding the right window has become difficult. We have to work around FIFA and CAF calendars. You cannot organise the Challenge Cup at the same time as the World Cup or AFCON. Because AFCON is coming to East Africa next year, the members have decided that the Challenge Cup should be played before it. Kenya has shown interest in hosting, while CAF has also opened the process to other member associations. We hope the Challenge Cup will take place before AFCON next year. It is something the CECAFA Executive Committee is pushing very hard to ensure happens. Does CECAFA Kagame Cup help clubs prepare for continental competitions? Absolutely. The Kagame Cup serves as a pre-season tournament, especially for clubs that have qualified for the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup. It gives them an opportunity to test players, assess themselves, work on tactics and improve fitness before continental competitions begin. Last year, Al Hilal of Sudan performed strongly in the Kagame Cup and later reached the CAF Champions League quarter-finals. When you hear them talk, they say the Kagame Cup helped them prepare. Look at Singida, which won the Kagame Cup previously and went on to reach the group stage of the Confederation Cup. That was not by mistake. Because of this, clubs from other regions, including North Africa, have shown interest. This year the tournament was limited to 12 teams, but next year CECAFA is working to increase that number to perhaps 16 and bring in clubs from North and Southern Africa. Does the tournament provide a platform for talent exposure? Agents are everywhere, and many players have made professional moves after proving themselves in the Kagame Cup. Jean-Claude Girumugisha is one example. He performed very well during last year’s tournament in Tanzania and was subsequently involved in a move worth around $5 million to a club in Libya. Players such as Fiston Mayele (formerly of Young Africans) also showed how footballers from the region can benefit from CECAFA competitions. Scouts are watching. Matches are broadcast live through our partners, including Azam and Rwanda’s national broadcaster. People are watching and studying the players before clubs and agents approach those they are interested in. Where is CECAFA still falling short? One of the biggest challenges is stadium infrastructure. It would be good if more member associations could convince their governments to build modern stadiums certified by CAF and FIFA. It is unfortunate to see a national team leave its own country to play a home match elsewhere. People back home then miss the opportunity to support their team. Good facilities are also important for talent development. Another major challenge is sponsorship. Football needs money. We are knocking on as many doors as possible across the region while also making our tournaments more attractive to sponsors. Sponsors want visibility, brand exposure and media value. These are some of the areas we are working on. What drove the huge turnout in Kigali? The people of Rwanda love football. The last time the Kagame Cup was held in Rwanda was in 2019, so the fans had missed it. President Kagame is also the patron of CECAFA, making the tournament’s return significant. The Government and FERWAFA played major roles in organising the competition, while supporters also travelled from outside Rwanda. It was part of sports tourism, with sporting events attracting people who travel to watch matches. How is women’s football progressing in the region? We have achieved a lot in women’s football in a relatively short time. Tanzania and Kenya have qualified for FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cups, while Tanzania also qualified for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. Simba Queens have represented the region strongly in the CAF Women’s Champions League. However, there is still a lot to do. CECAFA has a dedicated women’s football development office, while sponsorship remains important. We need to continue developing women’s football as a product that can attract investment. Some tournaments in Tanzania and Uganda have offered free entry to encourage more fans to attend. Where do you see CECAFA competitions in five years? CECAFA has one of the biggest numbers of tournaments every year, alongside COSAFA, because the Executive Committee and member associations are intentional about providing competitions. Without tournaments, you cannot support development. But member associations must also have their own strategies because CECAFA can provide platforms, while countries provide the teams. The region’s performance at AFCON, WAFCON and other continental competitions depends greatly on preparation. The CAF Women’s Champions League CECAFA Qualifiers also show how much the level is rising. Clubs are now recruiting players from across the region and beyond specifically for the competition. Simba Queens have signed Ethiopian international Wakuma, Kenya Police have recruited players from Uganda and elsewhere, while Mafunzo of Zanzibar have players from Mali and Nigeria. That shows the competition is becoming much stiffer and is increasingly serving as an important platform for clubs to identify and recruit talented players.
