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Villa draw APR in low-key Cecafa
SC Villa head coach Dusan Stojanovic. PHOTO/JOHN BATANUDDE
What you need to know:
Sudan won the rights to host the tournament but the ongoing civil unrest has made it impossible.
StarTimes Uganda Premier League champions SC Villa will face Rwandan giants APR in the group stages of the 2024 Cecafa Kagame Cup scheduled for July 9-21 in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
Sudan won the rights to host the tournament but the ongoing civil unrest has made it impossible. The games will be played in Dar Es Salaam at the Azam Complex in Chamazi and KMC Stadium in Kinondoni.
Villa were grouped in Pool C with the record Rwandan champions, Al-Mereik Bentui (South Sudan) and Singida Black Stars from Tanzania.
Zambian champions Red Arrows are the only invited side after DR Congo giants TP Mazembe cancelled their request. Arrows will shoot in Group B that has Kenyan giants Gor Mahia, Telecom Djibouti and Al Hilal from Sudan.
The regional body had earlier indicated that the tournament that was to kick off on June 6 last month had interested 16 teams but only 12 were drawn.
Tanzanian champions Young Africans together with their fellow giants Simba and Azam opted out of the tournament.
“We have been forced to reduce the numbers and also change the dates because of some challenges,” noted John Auka Gecheo, the Cecafa executive director.
He added: “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,”
Villa are returning to the regional tournament after a 19-year absence after participating in and winning the 2005 edition. The Jogoos previously won the title twice in 1987 and 2003.
CECAFA KAGAME CLUB CUP 2024
Dates: July 6-21
Venue: Azam Complex in Chamazi and KMC Stadium in Kinondoni
Groups
Group A: Coastal Union (Tanzania), AL-Wadi (Sudan), JKU (Zanzibar) & Dekaheda (Somalia)
Group B: Al Hilal (Sudan), Gor Mahia (Kenya), Red Arrows (Zambia) & Telecom Djibouti
Group C: SC Villa (Uganda), APR (Rwanda), Singida Black Stars (Tanzania) & Elmeireik Bentui (S. Sudan)
