K’Ogalo among contenders in Cecafa Kagame Cup lineup

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League champions Gor Mahia have been listed among the 12 teams set to battle it out for the Cecafa Kagame Cup trophy in Tanzania. 

While there was uncertainty surrounding the participation of the record league champions, Cecafa has listed Gor Mahia among the teams in the draw set for today at the Azam TV studio in Dar es Salaam. 

Tanzania will host the tournament from July 9-21 at the Azam Complex in Chamazi and KMC Stadium in Kinondoni.

The draw for the tournament will be conducted on July 3rd, 2024, at the Azam TV studio in Dar es Salaam. Azam TV is one of the partners of Cecafa. The teams listed for the draw include 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), and Red Arrows FC (Zambia).

“Although we had initially planned to have 16 teams, we have been forced to reduce the numbers and change the dates because of some challenges,” explained Cecafa Executive Director John Auka Gecheo. “But we believe this tournament will give our teams in the Zone a good platform to prepare well ahead of the 2024/25 Caf Champions League and Caf Confederation Cup.”

Gecheo clarified that Zambia Premier League Champions Red Arrows FC will be the only guest side participating in the tournament following the withdrawal of TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The twelve teams will be placed into three groups with four teams each. The top teams from each group and the best runner-up will automatically qualify for the semi-final stage.

The tournament will allow new Gor Mahia coach Leonardo Martins Neiva to gauge his players ahead of the new season, which kicks off in August. Neiva will be assisted by former player and coach Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno and Michael Nam as they lead Gor Mahia in an attempt to win their fourth Cecafa Kagame Cup trophy.

In a recent interview, former Gor Mahia CEO Omondi Aduda called on the club to use the Kagame Cup as part of their preparations for the Champions League, where they will be making a comeback after missing out in the last campaign.

“The club needs to plan for early preparations, and given the short period remaining before the kickoff slated for August 16, I would propose they use the forthcoming Cecafa Kagame Cup and the invitational tournament in Enugu to ensure that both the new and old players jell, from which the first eleven should be picked in readiness for the  kickoff,” said Aduda.