The Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (, , , , , officially abbreviated as CECAFA) is an association of the football playing nations in mostly East Africa and parts of Central Africa. An affiliate of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), CECAFA is the oldest sub-regional football organisation on the continent.
CECAFA Address/Location No 209/4987 Amber House Ground Floor, Tom Mboya Street, Nairobi, Kenya, East Africa
History The competition that would later evolve into CECAFA began in 1926 with the establishment of an annual match known as the Gossage Cup, making it the oldest international football tournament in Africa. The first recorded contest took place that year, with Kenya emerging victorious over Uganda in a replay after the initial match ended in a draw.
CECAFA was founded unofficially in 1927. The competition was sponsored by the major Nairobi-based soap-manufacturing firm Gossage, owned by the British Lever Brothers. Its formation is often misattributed to William Gossage, founder of the Gossage company. However, he died 50 years before the CECAFA was established.
Tanganyika (present-day mainland Tanzania) joined in 1945, and Zanzibar followed in 1949, expanding the field to four participating teams over time.
The tournament was known as the "Gossage Cup" until the 1960s, when it was redubbed the "East African Challenge Cup". This version of the tournament continued until 1971, after which the competition was reconstituted under the banner of the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup. The organizational body was formally established as a regional football association in 1973.
CECAFA's head offices are in Nairobi, Kenya, under the governance of the Council, which is affiliated with both CAF and FIFA.
Member associations All associations that joined in 1973 were founding members of CECAFA. Country Governing body 1973 Federation of Uganda Football Associations * 1975 Sudan Football Association 1983 Ethiopian Football Federation 1973 Football Kenya Federation 1973 Tanzania Football Federation * 1994 Djiboutian Football Federation 1994 Eritrean National Football Federation 1995 Rwandese Association Football Federation * 1973 Somali Football Federation 1998 Football Federation of Burundi 2012 South Sudan Football Association 1973 Zanzibar Football Association * Union of Arab Football Associations (UAFA) members are marked with an asterisk
Broadcasting rights In 2007, television rights for the tournament were sold to GTV. Since 2009, broadcasting of CECAFA competitions has been taken over by South Africa broadcaster SuperSport NBS Sports Pro Soccer tv Shega Sports Azam Tv Astaan Sports Sudan sport
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Competitions
Current title holders
Competition Edition Champions Title Runners-up Next edition DatesMen's national teams Senior Challenge Cup 2019 40° TBD U-23 Challenge Cup 2021 1° TBD U-20 Championship 2024 3° TBD U-18 Championship 2023 1° TBD U-17 Championship 2025 2° TBD U-15 Championship 2023 1° CECAFA African School Championship 2023Royal Giants High School 1° Geda Roble SS 2024 CECAFA Beach Soccer Championship 2025 Women's national teams Women's Championship 2025 3rd TBD U-20 Women's Championship 2021 1st TBD U-18 Women's Championship 2023 1st TBD U-17 Women's Championship 2019 1st 2026 13–23 June Girls Schools Championship 2023FT Fountain Gate 1stAwaro SS TBD Men's club teams Kagame Cup 2024 Red Arrows 1° APR FC TBD Women's club teams CAF Women's Champions League CECAFA qualifiers 2024 CBE F.C. 1st Kenya Police Bullets 2025
Rankings Football
Futsal
Beach Soccer
See also
Confederation of African Football (CAF) FIFA
References
External links