Musonye in Kigali to finalise Kagame Cup preps

THE Council of East and Central African Football Associations (Cecafa) Secretary General, Nicholas Musonye is in Rwanda for a three-day official visit aimed at finalising preparations for the 2014 Kagame Cup slated for August in Kigali. “I am here to engage Rwanda Football Association on how best we can organise the regional club championship. Rwanda is committed to support the tournament which has been backed by President Paul Kagame since 2002,” Musonye told Times Sport on Tuesday after his arrival. “I believe we will reach an understanding such that Rwanda can host the most prestigious club tournament in Africa,” added Musonye. Musonye is expected to hold talks with Ferwafa, Ministry of Sports and Culture plus potential corporate companies to raise a sponsorship package that will cater for all expenses for the teams and delegations in the Kagame Club cup. Recently, Rwanda Football Federation Secretary General Olivier Mulindahabi said that the country is ready to host the tournament. Unconfirmed reports say that the government will raise $100,000 (Rwf 67.8m) while Cecafa will raise the remaining sum with help from South African Multi-national broadcaster SuperSport who sealed a four-year sponsorship pact to broadcast both Cecafa Challenge Cup and Kagame Cup in April. Early this year, Cecafa picked Rwanda to host this year’s Kagame Club Cup in August, while Ethiopia would host the 2014 Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup between November and December. This year’s competition will bring together league champions from all member countries and will coincide with the 20th anniversary of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Burundi’s Vital ‘O are the Cecafa Club Championship defending champions after they defeated APR 2-0 in the final last year in Darfur, Sudan. Defending league champions Rayon Sports, who last won the title in 1998, will represent Rwanda. Besides Rayon Sports, current champions APR, Police and AS Kigali are the other teams which will represent the country. APR is the only Rwandan side to have won the competition three times in 2004, 2007 and 2010. President Paul Kagame has sponsored the regional club championship to a tune of US$60,000 annually since 2002.