Cecafa: Kagame Cup will be held for the first time since 2015 in Djibouti early next year

CECAFA SENIOR WOMEN CHAMPIONSHIP IN JINJA UGANDA Kenya Harambee Starlets Esse Akida(R) and Losa Abera of Ethiopia battle for ball possession during their Cecafa senior women Championship semi finals in Jinja on Sunday 18/09/16.PHOTO.BONIFACE OKENDO

Kenya hosts Senior Challenge Cup, Rwanda stages women’s event while Burundi takes U-17 tourney.

The Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (Cecafa) has lined up three contests starting next month.

In its Executive Committee meeting held in Khartoum last month, member federations made several resolutions aimed at reclaiming and transforming football in the region.

The women's Championship kicks off the events with its second edition from November 3 to 11 in Rwanda before men’s Senior Challenge Cup from November 26 to December 9 in Kenya.

The oldest tournament in Africa, which will make a return after a year's absence, will be followed by the U-17 tournament in Burundi (December 12 to 22).

Kagame Cup will be held for the first time since 2015 in Djibouti early next year alongside the U20 and inaugural beach football tournament.

With the introduction of a new CAF U17 qualifiers format, Tanzania is expected to host the zonal finals before staging the continental youth finals in 2019.

According to Cecafa Secretary General Nicholas Musonye, the youth and women's programmes will get funding from the world football governing body, Fifa.

“We are working closely with the three federations to ensure we stage the competitions this year and reclaim our position in African football,” Musonye told The Standard Sports.

"Our emphasis is on the youth and women football. We have planned many youth and women activities because we have a programme in Fifa which supports such activities. So, it is up to us to utilise on that funding.

"Due to some unavoidable circumstances, it was impossible for us to organise Kagame Cup this year but expect a bigger event in Djibouti next year.

"Caf has changed the format for the U17 qualifiers. From this year's edition onwards, the tournament will start at the zonal level played in a Chan-like format with the winners qualifying for the 2019 finals in Tanzania."

Kenya being picked as Senior Challenge Cup hosts comes barely two weeks after they were stripped of their Chan hosting rights by the Confederation of African Football (Caf).

"The counties like Kakamega are doing a great job and we expect Bukhungu and Kisumu stadiums to be ready for the tournament next month," Musonye said.

"Kenya is a big country with the potential of hosting major competitions in the near future. We have already identified the venues and we believe that the country will be able to stage the competition successfully."