CECAFA U20: ‘Rwanda Absence Not Political’

Rwanda will not be taking part in this year’s CECAFA U20 Senior Challenge cup, it has been confirmed.

CECAFA secretary general Nicholas Musonye noted that Rwanda’s absence is not political.

It should be noted that there is an ongoing rift between the two neighboring countries which was highlighted by border closure earlier this year.

Nicholas Musonye. FUFA media

“Rwanda’s absence is not political,” Musonye told journalists in a briefing held at Imperial Royale Hotel.

“They (FERWAFA) wrote to us. They have had many engagements recently and they confirmed that their budget couldn’t sustain them.”

It should be noted that Rwanda were beaten semifinalists in CECAFA U20 in 2010, that was the last edition held, which was won by Uganda.

11 Countries Set To Take Part

Eleven countries have confirmed participation including hosts Uganda. The rest are Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, Kenya, Ethiopia, Zanzibar, Tanzania, Burundi, South Sudan and Somalia.

The tourney will be hosted in two venues – Pece War Memorial Stadium (Gulu) and FUFA Technical centre Njeru in Jinja.

Darius Mugoye

“We have had a lot of football in the central region and there was need for a national tournament up country to promote national visibility,” said FUFA Vice President Justus Mugisha who alos doubles as the chairman local organizing committee for the tourney.

“We chose Gulu particularly because of the passion they have for the games evidenced by the huge crowds in FUFA drum.

“We hope to have the opening match, finals and other knockout games. We want to inspire young talent out there.”

It should be remembered that there was a record crowd in a FUFA drum game between Acholi and West Nile, and more crowds are expected to grace the tourney.

TOP STORIES

WATCH VIDEOS

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Fortbet