Rayon Sports face Yanga in Cecafa Kagame Cup opener

RAYON SPORTS will start their regional campaign of the Cecafa Kagame Cup with a date against five-time winners Young Africans of Tanzania on August 8 at Amahoro stadium. The following day, Police will take on Sudan’s former African champions El Merreikh while three-time winners APR will wind up the day’s action against Burundi’s Flambeau de l’est. The 1998 Cup winners Rayon Sport will face Ethiopia’s Coffee on August 10 in their group’s second game at Amahoro stadium before switching the remaining group matches to Kigali Regional Stadium. The Blues will take on Zanzibar’s KMKM on August 14 before winding up their group stage action against Atlabara of South Sudan two days later. APR will meet Telecom on August 13; Gor Mahia on August 15 and KCCA two days later while Police face defending champions Vital’O on August 11 and Benadir on August 14. In other matches, Uganda’s KCCA FC will kick off their action against Kenya’s Gor Mahia FC. Gor Mahia is a familiar side with former Uganda Cranes coach Bobby Williamson as their tactician, yet the Kenyan champions are home to strikers Dan Sserunkuuma & Arthur Semazzi, defenders Israel Emuge and Godfrey Walusimbi plus midfielder Godfrey Baba Kizito. The quarter finals are slated for August 19; semifinals on August 22 and finals two days later. The kick-off times will be decided between Cecafa, Ferwafa and Supersport after agreeing on the live transmission schedule. All teams are required to arrive in Kigali on August 5, three days before the tournament starts. This year’s tournament has attracted a record 14 clubs and comes to an end on August 24th. It will be beamed live by Supersport, one of the Cecafa’s partners. The tournament’s referees will undergo medical tests on August 6 in Kigali, two days before the region’s elite clubs begin fighting for honours. The government of Rwanda is sponsoring the two week football extravaganza to a tune $200,000 while Cecafa has pumped in a further $100,000. Winners will pocket approximately $30,000, runners up $20,000 and third place finishers $10,000. Kagame Cup Fixtures August 8 Atlabara vs KMKM Gor Mahia vs KCCA Rayon vs Yanga August 9 Vital’O vs Banadir Police vs El Merreikh APR vs Flambeau August 10 Telecom vs KCCA KMKM vs Young Coffee vs Rayon