Cecafa ride on Afcon 2027 to bounce back
Uganda Cranes coach Paul Put (L) speaks to Fufa chief executive officer Edgar Watson. PHOTO/COURTESY
What you need to know:
The regional competition has been in a stupor since their last edition in 2019 in Uganda, and are desperate to get going again this June in Zanzibar
The East African Pamoja Afcon 2027 winning bid seems the lifeline Cecafa - the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations - needed for resuscitation.
Cecafa has been in a stupor induced by several factors including lost allure and Covid since 2019, when it hosted its last event in Uganda.
With June 29 to July 14 the confirmed dates for the return of Africa’s oldest football tournament in Zanzibar, Cecafa organisers are hoping to use Afcon 2027 to be hosted in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania to rally the region to embrace the tournament’s return.
Timely
“The fact that we have not had the tournament for long has not given our teams a chance to play as many games as possible,” Andrew Jackson Oryada, the Cecafa Head of PR and Communications, told the Daily Monitor.
“So it even affects how we play during Afcon qualifiers. The countries believe that if we have the challenge cup back it will help us because the Afcon is coming to our zone in 2027.
“So by the time we get to 2027, our teams should have played more competitive games for the coaches to try as many players as possible because we have many players in this zone and not all of them get the chance to play at competitive level.”
Desperate for appeal
Cecafa was at one time the calendar year event for its members to look forward to, but even before the recent four-year hiatus, the regional football body has lost its appeal with countries reluctant to host.
Oryada agrees they will have to do things a little differently if they are to attract a following again.
“We are doing everything we can for that, first through the underage Cecafa tournaments and women football,” he explained.
“The other big part we are working to improve is our media, communication and branding. I’m pushing really hard for this because with this, and the numbers, you also have the sponsors’ attention.”
A world to hosts Zanzibar
Azam, the Tanzanian TV giants, are the broadcast sponsors for this, with Zanzibar the willing hosts, assures Oryada.
“Zanzibar said they are so happy that the challenge cup is back because, for them, they are just associate member of CAF and cannot play AFCON qualifiers,” he elaborated.
“So the Cecafa Challenge Cup is like a World Cup for them, it means so much to them.”
Uganda are the record champions of Cecafa having lifted the regional title 15 times, including the last in 2019. Kenya are the closest at seven.
