DR Congo to join Cecafa

The Confederation of East and Central Africa Football Federation (Cecafa) is set to adopt a new proposal of incorporating DR Congo into the regional body late this year. The Cecafa General Secretary, Nicholas Musonye told Kenya’s Daily Nation recently that the inclusion of DR Congo into the regional body would tournaments more viable and beneficial to member countries. However, the Ferwafa Chief Executive Officer, Jules Kalisa told Times Sport yesterday that he was not aware of the development but hinted out that this would make regional tournaments more competitive. “The regional body is set to adopt this move during the regional body’s congress and that is where we shall make decisions on incorporating our neighbours into the Cecafa body,” Kalisa said, adding that many more proposals will be talked about and they will play a major boost in the elevation of football in the regional as well as nation wide. Other new proposals which are set to be adopted at the regional football body’s congress in December include a radical change in the playing format. Instead of the traditional one-stop venue where one country hosts all the 11 participating nations, teams will be paired on a home and away knock-out format staged over the Fifa calendar year. The four teams that make it to the semi-finals will then play at one venue to be decided by Cecafa. This will be good for the region and the member countries will be assured of international football all year round. Such a format will assure Cecafa countries at least one home international match per year outside the Fifa/Caf programme.The significance of such a move is best illustrated in a situation where a member country fails to get beyond the preliminary stage of the Fifa/Caf World Cup cum African Nations Cup qualifiers, preliminary round. Such a country will then have to wait for over two years before another chance can come their way to play a home international match. The proposals will be debated by Cecafa during its congress in Dar es Salaam on December 7, a day before the two-week Challenge Cup begins. Ends

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DR Congo to join Cecafa