SOCCER: Cecafa picks new teams for Cup

Azam FC players during a past training session at the Azam Complex in Dar es Salaam. PHOTO| FILE
What you need to know:
- Burundi’s Flambeau de l’Est and Coffee of Ethiopia have pulled out of this year’s Cecafa Kagame Cup tournament, which roars into life tomorrow in Rwanda.
Dar es Salaam. Mainland champions Azam FC have landed invitation to compete in this year’s Cecafa Kagame Cup, which kicks off tomorrow in Kigali, Rwanda.
Azam have replaced Young Africans, who have been barred from heading to Kigali for the championship after violating the rules and regulations governing the tournament.
The Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (Cecafa) secretary general, Nicholas Musonye, confirmed yesterday that Yanga will not take part in the regional tournament. This came only hours after Burundi’s Flambeau de l’Est and Coffee of Ethiopia pulled out of the championship.
“The clubs have since been replaced by teams from respective countries,” Musonye told The Citizen by phone from Nairobi.
Coffee, who won the Ethiopian league last season, have been replaced by Adamma FC, while Flambeau de L’est’s place goes to Atletico, who are coached by former Mukura VS head coach Cedric Kaze. Only Eritrea will not have a team after they rejected to compete in the tournament sponsored by Rwanda President, Paul Kagame. Kagame, patron of Cecafa, has sponsored the regional club championship to the tune of $60,000 in cash annually since 2002.
Musonye said Yanga violated the rules governing the championship by naming a youth side for the event meant for senior teams. When contacted for comment on the matter, the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) secretary general, Mwesigwa Celestin, said Yanga erred to name their Under-20 team for the regional tournament.
“We warned them well in advance that they could face disciplinary action if they don’t adhere to the laid down riles, but they never bothered to honour our instructions,” said Mwesigwa. Azam, the country’s representatives in the Africa Champions League, will launch their Kagame Cup campaign against hosts Rayon Sport on Friday at the Amahoro Stadium.
Meanwhile, Azam have unveiled a 20-member squad for Kagame Cup.
Notable absentees in the squad include striker Gaudence Mwaikimba and their new signing Malian Ismaila Diara.
The players making up the squad are: Aishi Manula, Mwadini Ally, Waziri Salum, Gadiel Michael, Shomary Kapombe, Abdallah Kheri, Aggrey Morris, Said Mourad and David Mwantika.