Kampala, (UG):- Newly crowned Uganda Premier League champions SC Villa find themselves in an unexpectedly advantageous position for the upcoming CECAFA Kagame Cup 2024 after four prominent clubs announced their withdrawal of participation.
The tournament, scheduled to start next weekend on July 6 to 22 in Zanzibar and Tanzania, has seen the departure of four notable contenders: Burundi’s Vital’O, Tanzania’s Azam FC, Malawi’s Nyasa Bullets, and Congo’s TP Mazembe.
Despite no official statement from the Council for East and Central African Football Associations (CECAFA) regarding these withdrawals, media reports have confirmed a reduction in participants to 12 teams.
Reports further suggested that CECAFA could now consider replacing teams which have withdrawn from the competition, with Police FC of Rwanda said to be the latest addition.
Organised by the Council for East and Central African Football Associations (CECAFA), the tournament has been rebranded to CECAFA Kagame Cup since 2002, when President Paul Kagame began sponsoring the competition. It is contested by clubs from East and Central Africa.
Prize money
The tournament, sponsored by President Kagame, offers a total of US$60,000 in prize money, with the winners taking home US$30,000, the runners-up receiving US$20,000, and the third-place team pocketing US$10,000.
The 2021 edition of the tournament saw Uganda’s Express FC emerge victorious, defeating Malawi’s Nyasa Big Bullets FC 1-0 in the final, with Martin Kizza scoring the winning goal. Express FC took home the grand prize of US$30,000, while Nyasa Big Bullets FC received US$20,000 as runners-up.
The losers of the semi-finals will face off in a third-place playoff, with the winners receiving US$10,000.
Remaining teams for CECAFA Kagame Cup 2024:
El Merreikh, Al Hilal, Hai El Wadi (all from Sudan), Young Africans SC, Simba SC and Coastal Union FC (all from Tanzania), Gor Mahia FC (Kenya), SC Villa (Uganda), JKU SC (Zanzibar), El Merreikh FC-Bentiu (South Sudan), APR FC (Rwanda) and Red Arrows FC (Zambia).
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