BY OUR CORRESPONDENT
Top teams have withdrawn from the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) Kagame Cup 2024.
Tanzanian giants Yanga, Simba and Azam are among the teams that have pulled out of the tournament which kicks off on July 9 to 21 in Tanzania. Congolese giants TP Mazembe and Vita O have also withdrawn from the tournament.
The teams pulled out because they had already lined up their pre season preparations.
The tournament will be held in Dar es Salaam at the Azam Complex in Chamazi and KMC Stadium in Kinondoni.
Azam TV are one of the partners of CECAFA. The draw will be done on Wednesday afternoon.
“Although we had initially planned to have 16 teams, we have been forced to reduce on the numbers and also change the dates because of some challenges. But we believe this tournament will give our teams in the Zone a good platform to prepare well ahead of the 2024/2025 CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup,” says the CECAFA Executive Director John Auka Gecheo.
He made it clear that the Zambia Premier League Champions Red Arrows FC will be the only guest side that will play in the tournament.
The twelve teams will be placed in three different groups with four teams each. The top teams from each group and the best runner-up will automatically qualify for the semi-final stage.
Confirmed teams
Coastal Union FC, Singida Black Stars FC (Tanzania)
Al Hilal, Al Wadi FC (Sudan)
Gor Mahia FC (Kenya)
SC Villa (Uganda)
Djibouti Telkom FC (Djibouti)
Dekedaha FC (Somalia)
APR FC (Rwanda)
JKU SC (Zanzibar)
El Merriekh Bentiu (South Sudan)
Red Arrows FC (Zambia)
Ends
