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The Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) has confirmed that Ksh7.6 million will be available as prize money for the Kagame Cup 2024, as Gor Mahia and other top sides compete.

John Auka Gecheo, Executive Director of CECAFA, confirmed that the Ksh7.6 million will be split to cater for the champion, runner-up, and third-place winner.

CECAFA support

He revealed that this prize money is provided by Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who has supported the growth of football in the CECAFA zone since 2002 with an annual contribution of $60,000 (Ksh7.6 million).

“We are glad that since 2002 His Excellency Kagame has supported the growth of football in the CECAFA Zone by $60,000 (Ksh7.6 million) towards prize money when the tournament takes place,” Gecheo stated.

According to Gecheo, the winners at the Dar Port Kagame Cup will pocket US$30,000 (Ksh3.8 million), while the runner-up will receive US$20,000 (Ksh2.5 million), and the third-placed team will take home US$10,000 (Ksh1.2 million).

Dar es Salaam Port, under the Tanzania Ports Authority, and Azam TV are other partners supporting the regional tournament.

Tanzania will host the regional tournament from July 9-21 in Dar es Salaam. Twelve teams will compete, with Zambia Premier League Champions Red Arrows being the only guest side.

The top team in each of the three groups and the best runner-up from any of the groups will automatically qualify for the semi-final stage.

Gor Mahia matches

Kenyan champions Gor Mahia have confirmed their fixtures for the upcoming CECAFA Kagame Cup, with matches set to kick off on July 10, 2024.

Gor Mahia FC will start their campaign against Zambian side Red Arrows at the Azam Complex at 9:00 p.m. on July 10.

They will then face Djibouti side Telkom on July 13, 2024, at 9:00 p.m., and in their final group stage match, Gor Mahia FC will take on Al Hilal FC from Sudan at 4:00 p.m. on July 17, 2024.

Organized under the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA), the tournament promises to provide an essential preseason platform for teams gearing up for the 2024/2025 CAF Champions League, CAF Confederations Cup, and domestic leagues.

Tanzania’s Simba SC boast the most CECAFA Kagame Cup titles with six, followed closely by Young Africans SC (Tanzania) and Tusker FC (Kenya) with five each. Other prominent teams with multiple wins include APR FC (Rwanda), Al Merriekh (Sudan), SC Villa (Uganda), and Gor Mahia FC (Kenya).

In 2023, the CECAFA Kagame Cup was canceled due to scheduling conflicts with the busy CAF/FIFA calendar. However, CECAFA has designated Zanzibar as the host for the 2024 CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup.

CECAFA Kagame Cup pools

Groups A: Coast Union FC (Tanzania), Al Wadi FC (Sudan), JKU SC (Zanzibar), Dekedaha FC (Somalia)

Group B: Al Hilal (Sudan), Gor Mahia FC (Kenya), Red Arrows FC (Zambia), Djibouti Telecom (Djibouti)

Group C: SC Villa (Uganda), APR FC (Rwanda), Singida Black Stars (Tanzania), El Merriekh Bentiu (South Sudan)